


The Cat and the Fox

by missMichalleYallo



Category: One Piece
Genre: Animals, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Shounen-ai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-12 12:00:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4478549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missMichalleYallo/pseuds/missMichalleYallo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The big city is a cruel place for animals, from cats to dogs - they all suffer from the same hardships. When they meet Sanji - the wild fox and the street cat Zoro suffer the same fate. Can they work together or die like the others?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I want to say thank you to my beta that help me with this story- under. that. sun [you awesome!] and I want to thank to my best friend that give me the encouragement to write and finish this story - opens up 4 nobody. Thank you so much! ^_^ hope you like it.
> 
> by the way, I choose the Fennec fox species for Sanji. the first time I sew it in Wiki, I know it have to be Sanji species and I"m so in love with this species. they so Beautiful!

Our story begins with two young and cute animals.

One is a young fox with spiral eyebrows, yellow lines mark his body, his tail has a circle shape, and one little bang hides one of his eyes. His visible eye was blue, and he always looked for company or female cats to court after. If a male cat or dog dared to show up, he would growl and hiss at them. In some cases he fought to banish them away. He really hates them, stupid assholes that come to steal his food or his females.

Not that he has any luck with female courting, but at lust he tries his best.

His name was Sanji, and he was a smart one.

The other one is a young green cat. His eyes were black with a constant frown that intimidated any stray cats or dogs. He had three identical gold earrings on his left ear that played when wind blew. His only problem was that he never knew where he was and that he was constantly hungry.

Most of his life he spent sleeping, searching for food or practicing his attacks with his sharp nails so no one could stand up against him. He wasn't interested in anyone in particular, but he wanted to be the most powerful cat in all the stray cats.

His name was Zoro, and he liked to fight.

Once these two met, they glared and growled at each other. Sanji hissed at him, trying to show that this was his territory and that the other should back off. But Zoro didn't, and he didn't seem too impressed by him, actually he ignored his growls and sat down in the corner, trying to catch some sleep.

Sanji got even more irritated, and folded all of his body in a threatening way. But it didn't seem to work on the green cat, so Sanji come at him

"Oi you, stop ignoring me! This is my place, go away!"

Zoro looked up at him and sneered.

"Like I care who owns the place, I'm going to sleep now so shut up! Your voice is annoying."

"The hell, you shitty cat?! Go sleep somewhere else!" Sanji's anger was boiling, how dares this green shitty cat talk back to him. It was his territory! Like hell he's going to let this pass in silence.

He jumped at the green cat, Zoro didn't give in and attacked him back with all his strength.

Their fight kept on into the night, but not one of them won this or lost. Sanji was fast and smart attacking strongly, but Zoro could stand up with his strong legs and nails, making Sanji yelp with anger after the scratch he left on him.

Neither of them backed off, but their strength was equal. Both of them ended up panting on the floor, too tired to fight any more.

"You're good, spiral fox. I'm impressed."

"Shut up, who are you calling spiral fox?! You grass-colored shitty cat! I'm haven't given up on this territory!"

"Are you an idiot? I didn't come here to take your territory. I only wanted to sleep."

Sanji looked at him with shocked eyes, it was the first time other animal didn't try to throw him out or claim his territory, or steal his food. And to say the truth, it was a little strange for him.

"Really? It's a good place you know." Sanji asked still shocked, since all he knew is to fight and how to be careful most of the time. Zoro didn't seem to mind. He only nodded and lied down to sleep again in his lazy way.

"Like I said, I don't need your stupid territory. I only need a good sleep and some food." With that, he started to purr, enjoying his good sleep after a fight. Sanji raised his eyebrow and an ear.

"Oi..! Oi grass cat, don't sleep! You idiot!" He bites his ear and gives up. 'Let the grassy cat sleep if he want to, for now!' As long that he wasn't a threat to him, it was okay to let him stay for a while.

But the grass cat stayed for longer than Sanji could have imagined, even though he tried several times to make him leave his territory without success, the cat was one stubborn being. And for his surprise he didn't mind the grass cat staying. They did fight a lot, but it seemed it was mostly from playful manner. And Zoro always took his attention away, especially from female courting.

"Idiot fox."

"What did you just say grass cat?!"

"I said you are a moron fox for going after females cats. What wrong? You can't find females foxes like yourself anymore?"

"Shut up grassy cat! I don't have a lot of choice's here! And I don't see you even trying to find one female! Don't tell me that the humans cut it off for you, so you can't even do it?" Sanji mocked him with an evil smile.

"I'll let you know, spiral pervert fox that no one cut anything for me! So I could do it with anyone if I wanted to." With that Zoro showed Sanji all of his his package with all its glory. 'Then what the hell was this cat problem?!' Sanji didn't know why, but he felt in heat, wasn't Zoro a male cat? What the hell was wrong with him? He wasn't sure.

"Then what the hell…" But before Sanji could continue, he smelled it. That smell was not his or the grass cat's. It was of a dog, he looked away from Zoro at the big dog that came at them, barking.

Threatening them to leave, because this place belonged to him now, Sanji growled at him to fuck off, but it didn't seem to have any effect on the stray dog. So they fought, the dog was bigger than him, even though he was faster, the dog managed to pin him down with a bite on his neck from up his head. His teeth were big and sharp, and it hurt Sanji so bad that he could only try to growl at him. He could feel blood coming out and hissed.

With his last strength, Sanji bit his attacker's left leg, trying his best to remove the dog from his neck in vain. It didn't matter what he did, the dog keep him pined to the floor and bit his neck even harder. He put his legs on the other's back trying to crash him. Sanji howled in pain and saw his end - he won't survive this fight. But then, right in front of his eyes, the grass cat that growled up until now jumped at the dog. Scratching him hard on his back without mercy and biting his neck and ear blood spilled everywhere. Sanji wasn't sure what going on any more.

"Go away! It's our place!" Zoro growled and jumped from the dog's back, biting the dog foot like a tiger. Holding his foot, he scratched it deep and made him leave Sanji's neck and turned the dog's attention at him, growling like he was big and tough. What Zoro knew for sure, was that this dog wasn't as tough as he looked. Zoro had fought with much bigger and stronger dogs before. But the dog managed to injure Sanji, for that he wasn't going to let this dog go without getting some revenge first.

"Annoying cat, how dare you interfere in my fight?!"

The dog jumped at Zoro, and Zoro jumped at his neck, scratching his face and biting his lower neck with all his might. Making the dog growl in a hostile way at him. But it seemed he start to back off a little, barking helplessly. After more scratching, Zoro left his neck and sent him an intimidating frown, the dog ran from the place, barking at them a little before he disappeared.

Sanji stayed on the floor, he couldn't believe the cat actually helped him to banish the dog. Of course, only because Sanji hurt the dog first. But still, the grass cat did help him a little this time. And he wasn't sure why, but it touched his heart. No one helped him before like this. But his neck still hurt, and he felt dizzy. Maybe it was too late for him. He closed his eyes.

But then, the sad fox felt the cat bite gently at his ear, waking him. So he opened his eye a little.

"What… Grass cat?"

"Don't sleep, stay awake."

"Why should I stay awake?! I'm tired."

"Stay awake, I'm bored. Entertain me, spiral fox."

"What the… you selfish grass cat! Go somewhere else if you want entertainment. Can't you see I'm a little busy here?! I'm hurt, so leave me the fuck alone or shut up!" Sanji hissed with anger, but his spite was gone. He was too tired to care about the green cat. But his manner of speaking still pissed him of. Who did he think he was?! Can't he see it's over for him, that he's in too much in pain to care anymore if he die's here, all alone.

The cat just look at him with silence, the fox wasn't sure what his eyes meant. But he could feel and smell Zoro getting closer to his neck.

"W… What are you doing?!" The fox started to shake, but the cat looked calm. Too calm for his taste, it startled the poor injured fox.

"I know… I know that you hurt, spiral fox." He growled softly from his neck. Calm and slow, he started to lick his wounds in silence. The fox whined a little and while wanting to run from the cat. He didn't know if he should shove him away or just let him do what he wants. He knew already, even if the cat licked his wounds, he may not make it. So he wondered why the stupid grass cat was doing this? Without any answer, he let the cat lick him. It felt more and more nice and warm for Sanji and he just gave in to Zoro, drifting into a deep sleep.

When Zoro finished licking his wounds, he sat down next to Sanji. Resting his head on the fox's warm fur on a patch in the middle of the other's back. They slept together peacefully, warming each other from the cold lonely night in the city.

The morning comes, and with that the people start to fill in the streets. Zoro was still asleep when his ears rise up to the sound of a weird noise. One was a heavy step of shoes, while the other was a heavy step of wood hitting the ground. The uneasy steps got closer and closer to them, so Zoro hurried to stand in front of the sleeping fox. He growled possessively at the new human presence, he wouldn't let him touch the fox. He was injured enough. And from his experience, humans were bad and only brought harm to any animal they saw, especially a wounded one.

When the human was close enough to them, he only sneered at the growling cat. Playing with his long moustache, he scoffed at Zoro with his hands holding a deep plate.

"Well well, what do we have here. It seems you found yourself a friend, shitty fox." He came closer again, Zoro standing in front frond in guarding stand, growling more and more at him.

"Shut it shitty cat, move it or I'll kick you out."

But Zoro didn't give in to him, he wouldn't. He only frowned at him, this human was different from the others, he didn't seem to threaten him. But with humans, you can never know what they're up too. But then he felt Sanji standing up next to him.

"Relax grass cat, this human is not our enemy." He said with calm voice, making Zoro send him suspicious look and a growl.

"And how do you know?!"

"Well, because he saved me from starving and feeds me. Sometimes he does scream at me, through."

"And how are you so sure that he won't try anything bad?! Maybe he's just trying to buy your trust and later hurt you." Zoro growled with suspicion, making Sanji growl back at him.

"Stop thinking everyone comes to hurt you, you idiot cat! And just for your knowledge, he won't feed me if I go somewhere else, and he won't come after me. He just feeds me when he wants to, and goes away. That's how it always was!"

Zoro snorted at him.

"So that's why you so territorial of this place, just so you can get some food from a human, pathetic!" His aggression grew by the minute.

"Shut up! It's not that bad! It's more for safety option to have food then to fight with other animals or to steal from humans. But it doesn't mean I don't steal from them when I feel like it. It's more pathetic to starve to death and refuse food just because it's from human." Sanji snarls back at him and crawls to the human that stands there.

Zoro just watches him with anger and disgust, but doesn't answer him. If the stupid fox wanted to risk his life, then it was his choice.

"What's this, you crazy shitty fox? You're injured again?! I won't take care of you forever, you hear me shitty fox?! This is the last time." The human scolded the fox, but picked him up in his arms. The cat watched him being taken away from the floor in shock, where is he taken him?! The suspicion was rose in Zoro. Even after what the idiot fox said to him. It was too suspicious. So Zoro followed the human. The fox looked calm in his arms and that was even weirder for Zoro.

The human opened the back door, and came inside with confident steps. Like he was the king of this place, and put Sanji on one of the tables. More humans were there that came and went, and screamed at each other. Playing with fire and food, the smells were amazing to Zoro's nose. And he almost drooled, but made himself to gather his focus on the fox. After that, the old human went somewhere, Zoro wasn't sure where.

"It smells great in here, right?" Sanji comments from the table. "I've tried to steal from here once before, but that old human hit me with that wood of his. It hurt, but since then he come and fed me a lot. You see grassy cat, he's not that bad."

"You still can't trust him." Zoro growled in silence, he wasn't so sure if he can trust the human so fast, even if the idiot fox trusted him.

"I know… someday he will stop feeding me. I already know that…" Sanji's voice sounded sad.

Zoro ears full down, he didn't mean to make the fox sad, but he really couldn't make himself trust the human. He just couldn't.

"It's okay, grassy. I still can make fun of you." Sanji giggled in mockery.

"Shut up, spiral fox!" Zoro growled, but felt lighter than before.

Sanji laughed hard and put his paw on his stomach at the sound of the annoyed cat. It was fine until the old human come back and held the fox's arms and legs tight down, making him lie down on the table not in a gentle manner. His fingers poked Sanji wound, and he yelp in pain. After hearing Sanji, Zoro immediately jumped on the table and growled at the human again. Ready to bite his hand off to his shoulder if needed too.

"Your friend is really worried about your ass, ahh shitty fox?" The old human said as he continued to poke his wounds until Sanji bit his finger with hostile look, making him bleed a little.

"It hurts you bastard!" Sanji growled, but the old human wasn't scared or let him go. He only tightened his grip on him, smiling a little with pride in his eyes.

"You ungrateful little creature." His words were sharp, but his tone was warm. Like a father toward his son. Leaving his wounds, he pet Sanji's head gently. Sanji enjoyed the sudden touch - it calmed him down a little. And Zoro came to sit next to him

"This human is weird." He was more relaxed now.

"I know, right? But he's not bad." Sanji concluded.

"But he isn't good either." Zoro proceeded.

"Yes." Sanji agreed, malting by the so gentle touch.

After some time, a new human came in the room, very tall with short black hair. His eyes were sharp and cold, he sat down next to the old human and Sanji and pooled out his tools.

"I hope you'll pay me good for this-ya."

"Shut up and do what you came here for! I'm a busy man." The old human said and got up, shooting orders at the others men.

Sanji tried to run away from the new human, but the young human with the weird heat held his body on the table, and Zoro growled a little at him, warning him.

"It's okay, fox-ya. I'm here to take care of you."

The young human turned him on his back and attached a weird white tool to his heart. It was cold, and Sanji yelped at him. He didn't like the cold feeling from the white tool. Zoro come to bite him, but the young human grabbed the cat's neck and put him on the floor. Zoro come back to him with a jump on the table, growling even more.

But before he could do anything, the young human started treating the wounds professionally and cleanly. He cleaned his wounds and bandaged them. Make sure it won't full off anytime soon. And after he done he pet his head, and gut a very nice bite from the fox.

"There fox-bro. Don't fight too much." He said with a pleased smile.

With that he gathered his things to his bag and walked to the old human, Zoro approached Sanji silently and smelled him a little.

"You okay, crazy fox?"

"Yes, actually it doesn't hurt anymore. Hey, you're the crazy one!"

"I see… Nope, you're the crazy one." Zoro sat down, and the fox rose to sit too.

"But it was damn annoying! All this touching and the cold tool he push at me. I hate him! I should have bitten him harder."

"Why, you didn't seem to mind his touch that much, I think you liked it when human touched your head like that." Zoro mocked Sanji and the latter sent him a hostile glare

"I did not like it!" Sanji screamed back.

"Right right, you didn't." Zoro said with sarcastic growl.

"Oh yes!? Let's see you then, after humans touch your head like that, grassy!"

"It a shame we will never know, because humans will never touch me like that, unless they want to lose their hand." Zoro smiled evilly at Sanji who looked a little shocked, and his ears fell.

"Really? But… you know, it's nice to gut them once in a while. Sometimes… it's really nice."

"I don't care… I don't need it." Zoro said and Sanji scorned at him.

"You're just a show off, grassy, because you're an idiot cat!"

"What did you say, spiral fox?!" Zoro growled and jumped at Sanji.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

They started to fight again, playfully with their pews on one another's body, enjoying nice and harmless competition and sometimes one of them would bite the other with some playful bites. But it didn't last long, since the old human decide to get rid of them. So they found themselves outside in the place Sanji knew so well with two plates of food. The cat wasn't impressed at the food in the plates, so he just sneered at that and lied down on his side with his back to it. That got Sanji pissed at him, how dare the little ass take food for granted?! He came closer to the cat, and hit him with his palm furiously.

"Ouch! What did you that for, crazy fox?!"

"Come eat the food with me right now! You heard me grass cat?! Or I'm really going to bite your head off and your stupid tail! You mock food, you mock me! Got it?!" Sanji came close to his face, angry eyes lowered and raised tail in anger. Zoro did the same with his tail, and frowned at him.

"What if I don't want too?!"

"Then I bite you to death! And take your tail as a souvenir." Sanji frowned right back at him.

"Yea right…" Zoro snorted.

"Try me, cat. Just try me!" Sanji dared him with a very dark growl.

"You eat it, I'm not hungry." Zoro said and turned to the other side with his body, but his stomach went against him and rumbled in protest. Sanji grinned and came at his face again, his grin wide at the victory.

"What did you say, grassy?"

"Tch! Fine, but it doesn't mean that I trust humans." Zoro said to keep his honor, and they started to eat. After the first plate was empty, Sanji moved to the second plate to eat with Zoro. To his surprise, the cat didn't mind sharing with him. Sanji respected Zoro a lot more for that, since the cat seemed to respect him back.

At the cold nights, they slept next to each other to get warm from each other's fur. They shared the warmth with each other, since they didn't have a lot of choice in the matter. And it felt nicer to sleep when both of them warm. Sanji lend the cat his tail and the same did the other cat for him. It was mutual sharing to survive on the cold street of the city.

After many days, it came to times that Zoro would disappeared for a few days, and after his return Sanji would ask him where he went.

"I went on a short walk." Sanji raised his eyebrow.

"How is that walk 'short'?!"

"The place moved!" The cat complained grinding his teeth with anger and going to lie down. Sanji took a long and confused look at him until he reached a conclusion

"He got lost, didn't he?"

After that, it happened four times in a row, and Sanji got used to the stupid directionally challenged cat that he got stuck with. Sometimes he went after him to bring back the lost cat, so he wouldn't starve. It made him laugh every time at his expense and the cat laughing at him back when the fox went too far after a female cat trying to court her.

They both enjoyed a good life like this, even if it was hard sometimes in the bad weather. Especially in the winter, the snow rose up in the street. But the fox always managed not only to store enough food, but even to find them a nice, dry and warm place to sleep. He was definitely the best partner Zoro could ever wish for. And he saved his ass several times, and Zoro saved him back. The more he spent time with the fox, the more he wanted to stay closer to him.

At the summer, Zoro wasted most of his time sleeping on the day time, and strolling at night time. Sanji found some little animals to hunt, with that he practiced his hunting skills. Bringing them both some nice change of nutrition. Zoro loved to sleep with the fox's warm tail, but Sanji didn't always let him sleep whenever he wanted to. For instance, that day that Sanji was bored in the day time, and started to poke Zoro's ears and tail, waking him up.

"What… what do you want annoying fox?!" Zoro grumbled.

"Let's play cat, I want to fight." The hyperactive fox jumped on him, biting playfully on his ears.

"Play with yourself! I want to sleep." Zoro answered and turned around.

"But I can't practice alone! Fight me grassy, you can sleep later!" The fox insisted, and bit his ear again. Zoro growled at him in a low pissed off manner, warning him.

"Let me sleep, spiral fox or I'll eat you!" To that the fox snorted at him, and showed him his uncaring walk.

"Like you can win against me. You're just scared to fight me, I got it." With a proud smile he went to his favorite spot and sat there, that Zoro couldn't ignore - it was a challenge. And the cat loved challenges more than his sleep time. So he got up, and attacked Sanji.

The two animals fought all day, biting, hitting each other with their legs and trying to hold each other on the ground. Sometimes jumping at a different spot to bite in a playfully manner on the other. It gave them the practice for enemies that had yet to come at them and reduced their energy and animalistic wants.

It also kept them focused and ready for action. After their fight and bickering was over, both of them lied down next to each other, too exhausted and fell asleep in one another's fur, satisfied to no end. Although Zoro lost his nap time, it was worth it.

But the good life they had didn't last for long, after some time passed the old human started to act strange towards the fox. He didn't hurt him, but he didn't feed him like he used to. Every day the food portions became smaller, and Sanji went out to hunt something to eat for them. Zoro wasn't stupid, he knew already like Sanji, he's going to stop feeding them eventually. And if they didn't want to starve to death, they'll have to find some other arrangement for food.

For Zoro it wasn't such a huge deal, they can always steal from other humans or search in trash cans. But for Sanji, it wasn't just the loss of the food supplies, it was a lost for something more. From what the cat could see, the fox liked to help the old human protect his place and his food storage. It was odd, but it seems the fox was content with his rule. But the old human didn't let him anymore like to say - "go away" with no words.

So to the fox to lose all that all of the sudden seemed like a big blow. He wasn't that attached to the human, but it seemed the fox had some kind of bond with him. The cat wasn't sure what to do, the fox didn't show it. But it seemed that he started to eat less to preserve more food they got. He didn't fight him anymore like they used to, not with all his spirit. The cat tried to start fights with him, but even then the fox didn't seem completely in the fight and kept his energy in the lowest level. It pissed him off, until he found himself scratching the fox too deep, and then the fox stayed away from him, although he didn't meant to do that to the fox. After that, the fox went off to hunt somewhere and come back when the cat was asleep.

This atmosphere only got worse and worse until the fox and the cat could not fight without really injuring each other badly, so they didn't have where to take out all their aggression. So they searched other street animals to attack. Sometimes, this was even worse since other animals didn't try to maintain the rules and attacked with a pack. For the cat, it was the worst time for them than ever.

After some time it finally come to an end, like they both knew it would. The old human moved away from the place, leaving them and everything behind him. Sanji cried out in a yelp when he walked to the big car, running after him before he entered it. The fox reach him and touched his feet with his legs, and kept his cry. The people in the street sent the fox disgusted or critical looks, but he and the old human didn't care, they were fully in their moment.

The old human bend over for the fox, giving him his last pet he will ever get from him. With a little cough and tears as he whispered to him: "You shitty fox, take care of yourself."

The fox gave him a little lick on his hand, to show him that he was grateful for everything he done for him, and he will never forget about him. And that was it, the old human got up to his feet and entered the vehicle. The fox cried out a loud yelp to the air, a yelp that squeezed the cat's heart in pain.

The vehicle let out a terrible sound and smoke that hurt the fox's and cat's eyes. With silence they both sat and watched the vehicle move away and disappear. Zoro licked Sanji's ear slowly and carefully, trying to comfort him. And Sanji looked at him in silence.

With this the bad atmosphere between them disappeared and was replaced by some peace and quiet. And it let them breathe after all the tension and aggression with each other. With mental agreement they both walked together to the park that was empty in this hour, silence filling the air. And they both like it. The gentle wind played with Sanji's fur and Zoro's gold earrings.

They kept moving with the wind, reaching to a stop on the green grass and sat down with changes in position. Zoro sat next to him also changed his sitting position, and for some time they both tried to find the most comfortable position to sit in, they took their time to arrange it in silence.

After they finally settled into comfortable sitting, they stayed together like that. After some time, Zoro spoke first: "Spiral fox… you.. okay?" He ask with careful voice.

When the fox smiled and teased his earrings he knew his answer.

"Not okay… but it's fine, someone has to take care of the grass cat."

"Shut up, idiot fox!" Zoro growled and bit his ear gently, happy to be close to him again. Sanji laughed a little and lowered his head when his chin touched the grass, resting.

"But we still have big problems. The food and…"

"The food is not a big problem, we can always steal from other humans. Like I said." The cat remarked in confidence.

"Besides, you might not know this but I'm also a lucky cat. Just count on my luck and everything will be fine."

Sanji twisted his eyes and stared at him, not believing in shit of what the cat blabber just now.

"You are one simple creature, aren't you?" He asked in sarcastic tone, and earned Zoro's frown.

"What's that crazy fox?!"

"I'm not going to count only on your luck! And if I will, we both will die on our first day!"

"So what are you suggesting then?!" Zoro asked with a pissed off look.

"We still have some food left where I hid it. Let's find other place to live, some place safe and warm. And we bring all the food there and hide it again. As for food, I think our best choice is to steal or to beg for it from strangers. But as I know you, you never agree to beg from anyone so…."

"No way I'm begging!" Zoro interrupted in anger.

"Would you listen! So let's steal instead. I can still hunt for us, but there isn't a lot to hunt for, your task is to walk aimlessly in the city and find us a good place to move in to." Sanji finished with a big smile and teasing tone. A vein popped up from anger at Zoro's forehead. Right now he really wanted to scratch his face.

"You annoying fox, I'm not getting lost! Never have and never will, got it?!"

"Yes, grassy cat. I know, then find us a good place without gutting lost. I trust you found us the best place. Good luck, I will take care of our food. It's a deal." Sanji smoothed talked with a smile and moved on, while Zoro was still stuck with an angry vein on his forehead.

'Someday, I will kill you bastard fox!' The cat thought but didn't say anything.

They stayed in silence again, not sure what to do now. After a while, Zoro lowered his head closer to Sanji's head that kept resting on the grass, rubbing his face with Sanji's. Sanji stared at him for a while and then asked- "What is it?"

"Nothing. I just felt like doing it…" Zoro answered with small smile, and Sanji blushed a little.

"Well… I… Don't mind."

Zoro kept rubbing his face with his, enjoying their little touch. And for Sanji's surprise, it felt comfortable and warm, so he relaxed and with him, Zoro relaxed too.

"B..by the way…" Sanji voice hesitated a little, which aroused Zoro's curiosity.

"Spiral fox?"

"Y…you know, I've been with you for….a long time…" Sanji continued with hesitation. "Yes, you're right. We have been together for a long time, I never counted on it." Sanji looked any other way then Zoro. "But I.. never asked you about your name or your life story." Sanji said with a little shame, Zoro's eyes opened with shock when the realization hit him too, the fox was right.

"You're right, I never asked you either, if you have a name." Sanji looked at him now and smiled.

"It's okay, and it's Sanji by the way. That old human gave it to me when he found me, but he never used it. It's funny." The smile become a sad smile, Zoro didn't like it and licked his cheek to distract him.

"Mine is Zoro. And don't worry fox, I will use your name, Sanji." Zoro said with a teasing smile, making his blush going to a deep red.

"Shut up, don't! But I will use yours more. Promise." He said and felt embarrassed for some reason.

"You don't have too, but do what you want." Zoro got closer to Sanji's body, laying down next to him and closed his eyes. He really wanted to stay like that with him for a long time, like forever.

Sanji let him, and snuggled with him playfully, watching the sky in wonder.

"I hope we managed to survive this." He said, his tone not sure.

"We will! I'm sure of it." Zoro murmured.

"At least one of us has confidence." Sanji sighed.

"I always have confidence." Zoro remarked proudly.

"I noticed that, you crazy grass cat." Sanji said with affection, biting him playfully. Zoro laughed at him and bit him back.

"Still… What if we get caught by the humans? I heard they have those big cages they lock you up in, and then they take you to some place that you can never get out from, ever! Unless you're dead." Sanji lowered his head down, he felt unpleasant chill on his back. He really didn't want to get caught.

"Relax crazy fox, trust me. It will be fine, even if we did get caught." Zoro said in a calm and confident voice, and rubbed his back on the grass playfully.

"How can you be so calm, damn grass cat?!" Sanji screamed at him, and Zoro laid down on his side smiling.

"Because I've been there before, that place the humans takes you after they capture you. The humans I been with threw me to one of those places after they done kicking me. I was there, so I know how to get out. So just trust me." He smiled his evil smile. Sanji was so surprised that his eyes opened with shock and his mouth fell over.

"You were…? And you're still alive Zoro, you really are an amazingly lucky cat!" Sanji declared and almost jumped at the cat. Zoro laughed proudly.

"Told you I've have luck. So relax fox, we'll make it." He said again, full of confidence. It made Sanji smile too, and now he really felt like they'll really make it. All because of Zoro - he really was amazing.

"But you're all right, after all that you…" Sanji wondered a little worried.

"Of course, I'm great. Just trust me, I will find us a good place." He promised, making Sanji smile and lick his cheek lovingly, and now it was Zoro's turn to blush. Sanji started rolling on the grass too.. enjoying the fresh grass and running around playfully.

They will make it, he was sure now.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

 

But it didn't seem to hold out much longer, hope and faith are not enough naïve for street animals. Even if you want to believe they'll be alright, even if you want to believe that someone will take them in and take care of them, it doesn't always happen at the right time. If it ever does happen.

The time and months passed on, and they moved to a place in the city. But the food didn't last like Sanji hoped. He stole from people as much as he could, but it doesn't always end up well. But he's fast, so they still have some, but it wasn't enough. Not for both of them at the same time, and the cat didn't want to eat all what they had. For Sanji's sake, he guessed. But it still hurt him to see the cat sleeping with a hungry stomach again.

Sanji came closer to Zoro, and rubbed his face in his head.

"Sorry Zoro, you did find us a good place, but I…" Before he could finish he felt a bite on his ear; Zoro was looking at him with his serious and hard look.

"Don't even start!" He shouted and thrust his teeth harder.

"Ouch, stop it bastard!"

"No! You stop it!"

"Fine! But I want us both to have food!" He whined.

"Then try harder, and steal more! I'll help you."

"But it doesn't work, Zoro!" Sanji screamed, Zoro was a little shocked.

"It just… It doesn't work. I want this to work, but it doesn't. Even if I keep more food, in the end, one of us is always hungry." He whispered quietly, and Zoro could see those sad eyes stare at his, praying for something.

"We just need to find one prey that holds enough food that would last more time, and not only for a day." Zoro explained with calm and confident tone, Zoro made Sanji roll on the ground, holding him when Sanji pouted at Zoro, but didn't fight him.

"But… it will be more dangerous. And how you plan to carry all this food? I can't carry too much in my mouth. And you can't either…"

"We'll manage somehow, now shut up and let me sleep!" Zoro spit and let go of the fox. Got up and came to his spot to lie down and return to his sleep. Sanji only rolled his eyes

"Idiot grass cat."

But as much as they found their prey, it wasn't easy to take such a large amount of food in one turn. And when they tried to come back, they almost got captured by a human. They wanted to have more food, but come back with nothing. Zoro sulked and Sanji sighed. "I told you it was too dangerous, you greedy cat!"

"Shut it! We almost made it!"

"We can't have it all! That's why it's better to steal a little every time, than too much in one go!"

"Yes, we see how much we survive on that little leftovers you bring." He growled irritated.

"What was that, grass cat?!"

They started to fight, and a nasty fight it was. Zoro almost lost one of his eyes and Sanji almost lost one of his ears, if Zoro wouldn't have stopped himself there. Zoro ended up hurt and licked his injured areas, Sanji sat far away from him with his tail turned to his direction. Not even trying to lick his wounds. After a while, Zoro lied down and sighed.

"Sorry…" Zoro started.

"It's fine. You're right, I should be more efficient as a hunter. I'll start to hunt more…"

"I didn't mean that you have to exhaust yourself."

"I won't." Sanji let his answer out flatly.

"Sanji!" Zoro growled.

Sanji didn't answer or looked back, he just sat there in silence and Zoro didn't try anymore. Both of them fell asleep in their separate spots.

Since then, Sanji hunted almost all day long. When he did come back to hide their food, he went off to hunt again. Zoro barely managed to spend time with the fox or talk to him. He wanted to apologize again and to help him, but it didn't seem like the stubborn-ass fox was going to let him. Little did he know what will happen to them, for the fox travel for hunting.

On that afternoon, Sanji found himself in an abandoned building. He didn't expect to find too much food and he felt exhausted from hunting and running all day, but he did smell some strong scent from there. And one human too, but it didn't scared him. If the human tried something, he'll just run away.

The fox slid in from an open hole in the wall, sniffing his way to the tasty scent. He climbed up to the food that rested there, feeling a little lucky, Sanji grabbed it in his mouth and tried to leave when a human's hand grabed his moth with the food. It was a small delicate hand

"What are you doing you little thief?! I saw it first. Give it back!" She screamed.

It was a little red head girl in yellow dress and wooden sandals. They both struggled to take the food away from the other, but the little girl was in disadvantage since Sanji kept it strongly in his mouth and wasn't about to let it out soon.

In the end of the struggle, the girl fell backwards and started crying. Sanji wanted to leave immediately, but something stopped him. He looked at the crying girl on the floor, and could not bring himself to just leave her there. He kept a safe distance from her.

"Aaaaaaaaahhh what I'm going to do… I'm a thief too, but even a fox defeat me. Aaaaah I want to eat it too… It's not fair, stupid animal." She cry and hid her face on her folded legs.

Sanji drew near her slowly and carefully, feeling a little bad seeing the little girl cry. He decide to give up this time, he could always find food somewhere else. And without making a human cry, so he pulled a little in the tips of her dress. Making her raise her crying face a little

"W… w… what? You win, it's yours stupid fox! Go away!" She said in chocked voice from the tears and buried her face in her dress again. But Sanji pull her dress again, until he got her attention. He put the food from his mouth on her belly, licking a little one of her hands to comfort her. To show the little girl his good will.

"It's okay, I'll give it to you."

"Really...? But… Aren't you hungry too?" She asked in choked voice, starting to wipe her tears away. "I don't get it… why..?" She asked again, looking at him with her big curious eyes.

Sanji didn't really like her looking at him, it made him tense up. So he decide move away first, but when he did she grabbed his tail and pulled him into her arms. At first Sanji struggled against her and tried to pull away from her in a panic. It scared him to be lifted so suddenly. He prepared to bite her hand hard and make a run for it.

But before he could, he was already on her stomach, getting slow, calm and affectionate petting and stroking. After the seventh pet, he didn't felt so scared anymore. He missed this affection that he only got from the old human to show his love. So it was a very nice nostalgic touch to the fox, her hands were gentler and softer then the old human. So he let her pet him a little too much long, and she kissed his hand with a big smile.

"Thank you… for this." She ate the food he gave her, smiling even more. And kept petting him, but then he remember that he wanted to come back to Zoro, so he tried to jump out from her gripping hands. But she immediately noticed him, and hugged him closer to her chest and put his head on her shoulder.

"Nooo! Don't leave me here alone. Please, don't leave me! I don't want to be alone…" She cried a little, and put him again. He still tried to struggle, but he could not free himself from her hands. He still tried hard to run from her.

'Oh no..' Sanji thought.

"I decided, you and me would the best thieves ever! So from now on… you're going to be my pet, your name will be Sanji." She smiled and kissed his head happily. Hugging him even closer and making him bite her. But she didn't seem to mind.

"No! Bad Sanji, it's not nice to bite your partner. Bad Sanji! Bad." She warned him in scolding tone, ignoring his struggle to get free and his panic.

"Just let go of me!.. " Sanji whined in panicked sounds.

"It's okay, Sanji. Don't be scared, I'll take good care of you." She whispered and kissed one of his ears with love. Sanji concluded that she liked him now too much to let him go, and that he was stuck in her arms.

"Sorry Zoro… I don't know if I can come back to you today."

After some time, the girl got up on her feet. Holding Sanji tight to her chest she walked away from the building. Sanji didn't know where she was taking him, but he hoped it wasn't to the place he fear the most. The place you can't come back from. He felt his body shaking a little by the thought

"Now now, calm down Sanji. Everything will be alright." She said with calm voice like she was talking to a baby and petted his head. It didn't help a lot but at least it made Sanji less tense. He felt good from her affection. Even if he still was in panic and confused.

The girl kept her walk until they reached a nice and small hotel, and entered it without saying anything. Even when the guy that stand behind the reception table screamed at hear

"Stop right there young lady, we don't allow animals here!" She took out her tongue as has an answer and ran away to her family's room. The reception guy call after her and wanted to chas her down but he was too busy with his job.

And so she managed her escape, but before reaching the room, she bumped in another young girl with short blue heir with more boyish clothes. She looked at her angrily and folded her hands.

"N… Nojiko…"

"Where have you been Nami?! Bellemere and I've been looking everywhere for you!" She scolded.

"And what are you holding in your arms?!" The girl that was called Nami lowered her head.

"But… But Bellemere was angry at me, and she hit me." She started to cry again, Nojiko sighed and reached her shoulders and put her hands on them with a smile.

"What are you saying? Bellemere is waiting for you, and she's worried. You should apologize to her, okay?. And I don't think she liked the fact you brought an animal here." Nami smiled a big smile and nodded.

"Yes, I will. I'll show her my new partner." She said while running to the door of their room, while the other girl followed after her.

"Hey! Wait for me."

Nami entered the room there by the table sat a tall woman with red-violet hair and unique hairstyle. She wore simple clothes and her arms were crossed against her chest with a cigarette in her mouth, she look worried and upset. But when she sew Nami, her face lit up a little and she raised one of her eyebrows

"Nami! Finally you came back… what's that you're holding there?!"

"Bellemere listen, listen… I was on this huge building, and I found this cute fox. And he's very good fox, I want him to be my partner. Can I keep him Bellemere? " She begged

"A stray fox? Foxes are a bother and don't tell me you just picked him up from the street?! You don't even know where he was before or what disease he might bring! No! It's out of the question! Return him back where you found him!" The woman said with authority. Sanji wasn't sure what's going on but he hoped that they wouldn't hurt him. Nami shook and tightened her grip on him, it hurt him a little but he felt that Nami was upset so he tried to stay calm.

"No! I want Sanji to stay with me.." The girl whined.

"Nami! Return the stray fox! We are not taking him home with us, you understand?" Shouted the older woman with authority and clear in her voice, Nami shook her head from side to side, sitting on her knees and put Sanji on.

"Then I'm not coming home too! I'll stay with Sanji on the street and we'll steal food together! Sanji is not a bother! He is a very kind fox, and he gave me his food! I won't leave him alone!" Nami screamed and cryed again, putting Sanji again and again. Sanji didn't know what to do but he didn't want the girl to cry, so he licked her face and her hands in comfort.

"Please don't cry." He tried to say.

The woman called Bellemere sighed deeply and put one hand on her eyes.

"Dear god, what trouble you bring us now."

Nojiko looked at Bellemere and didn't say anything, it was one of those fights no one gave in. So she waited patiently until it ended. After a while, Bellemere sighed again stood up and got closer to Nami on the floor, she messed up her hair.

"What a stubborn girl you are, Nami. No matter what I say, you've already decided. Fine, you can keep that fox of yours… But!" With emphasis on the last word, and Nami rose her face to her.

"I have several conditions, if you can't follow them then give him up." Bellemere smiled, and Nami smiled too. Letting go of Sanji to run and hug her tightly

"Thank you Bellemere… Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I will take good care of him, I promise. I love you so much!" She choked out all at once, hugging her.

"Hey, you didn't even hear my conditions yet!" She didn't know if to be angry or happy now that she let Nami get what she wanted. But it wasn't that bad of a deal, a pet is always good to have just in case. And a fox can help in the clementine field, so he might be a very good use for keeping in the house.

Nojiko laughed hard and said- "I'm going to use him too." To that Nami ran to her and screamed.

"No! I found Sanji first! He's my partner!"

"So what… He's part of our family now, so I can raise him too." Nojiko returned.

"Noo! Sanji's my pet!" Nami insisted.

In all the noise and conversation Sanji ran to the closed door and scratched it. But the door didn't move, he tried again and again panicked to jump and scratch the doorknob to open, but it didn't seem to move.

"Damn where am I?! How do I get out of here?! Let me out!" He scratched the door harder and bit the wood. The panic took him over. Bellemere noticed the sad panicked fox and ended the argument between Nami and Nojiko.

"Your fox doesn't seem to want to come with you Nami, and it's no wonder. He's a wild fox, you know. He's not going to always obey your wishes or wants and he can run away. Do you still want to keep him?"

To that Nami nodded strongly with her head, smiling wide with her teeth showing.

"It's okay, I don't need obedient or trained pet. He's still smart and kind, I like Sanji just us he is." With that she came close to pet him again but before she reached him, he ran away to the closed window, jumped on the bed and ran to the bathroom. Hiding himself behind the toilet shaking.

"How do I get out, how do I get out… how do I get out from here?!" He whined in panic, he never felt so trapped in one place his entire life. He wanted to see Zoro and feel safe again with him and snuggle with him. He started to whine.

The two women shared a look that said to Nami: "You still think he's okay?"

Nami laughed it off. "Well Sanji's just scared… that's all. When we get home, he feel better, I'm sure."

"If he gets sick, you'll take care of him. And if he dirties or destroys anything, I'll see you as responsible! You got it Nami?" Bellemere said with authority, and Nami only nodded with pouting face. "Of course, the minute we be home, I'll take him to the vet. We can't be too careful."

"But Sanji isn't sick!" Nami persisted.

"And you can't know that, now be good!" Bellemere closed the conversation and squeezed Nami's head. Nami didn't argue anymore when Bellemere gone out. She decided to go to the bathroom, trying to bring Sanji out.

"Sanji… Come out. Don't be like this…" She reached her hand to him, but the sad and panicked fox only growled at her and ran to hide somewhere else in the bathroom.

"Ah, why he's like that?!" Nami complained but decided to try even harder now, she was one stubborn girl after all.

Bellemere came back with plastic carrier bed that looked like a box with bars in it's end, Nami pouted.

"You can't put Sanji in there, he'll feel bad!"

"And where did you find it?" Nojiko asked curious.

"I borrowed it. And Nami, I'll tell you right now - no wild animal is entering my car without it! If you don't want too, then I'll send your Sanji back to the street." Nami sent her a hurt look but in the end give up, Bellemere was even more stubborn then her.

"Fine, but Sanji is going to be very upset and hurt" She said with worried voice.

"Don't worry Nami, right now he is in panic and confused. Remember, he's not used to be in a locked room. Everything we do will put him on the edge. But as soon that we come home and let him out freely, he'll calm down." Bellemere explained to the girls, so they won't worry too much about the sad fox that whined in the corner.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

...

The time passed, but the spiral fox didn't come back. Zoro waited and waited in his corner, pretending to be asleep but he never heard him or smelled him coming. He ate what the fox left for them recently. But he still felt restless. He waited some more days, but the fox didn't show up at all. The new morning came, he waited again, wondering around the place irritated. What happened to the fox, it wasn't like him! He always came back, even after their worst of fights. He never disappeared like that, maybe he was still angry at him?

But Zoro dismissed the thought immediately, even if the fox was angry he never would have just left without telling him. He just wasn't like that, so it had to be something else. And it brought even worse thoughts to his mind of what could've happened to him. He got captured and imprisoned somewhere Zoro didn't know, he could be dead. He could've gotten hit by the big machines moving on the road or by some terrible ass human. It could be anything, and Zoro started to feel very anxious and desperate.

One thing he knew, he had to see Sanji. And he had to see him right now! To know that he wasn't dead, to have proof that the worst hadn't happened.

With that, he starteded to run out from their favorite place to the crowded streets with all his might, sniffing everywhere for his scent. But with no luck, he tried to convince himself that he was wrong - that the spiral fox wasn't that weak or a moron to die so easily.

But the more his search stretched longer, so was his anxiousness and desperation grew heavier. He just needed one look at him, that's all. It wasn't much to ask wasn't it?! But it seemed the world won't let him, he didn't find him no matter how many days he searched and his smell faded away by the city's heavy rain. Why the hell the rain had to come out only now in this awful time?! Damn him and damn all the humans. Zoro hatred started to grow stronger, if they dared to touch the spiral fox, Zoro swore he'll scratch and bite them to death, even if it killed him. Maybe he was a little exaggerating but he was desperate and damn irritated. He and Sanji spent enough time for Zoro to be very attached to him, until he didn't wanted to be alone again. And he knew how much important it was for Sanji they wouldn't get hungry. He should have had come with him, he should have been there every minute to help him hunt. Even if it would offended Sanji's pride and make him think that he didn't trust his hunting skills, it would have been way batter then this!

In desperate act he yelped high pitched call to the sky, it was Sanji's explosive call that he learned to imitate from him. He knew that Sanji would recognize this call no matter where he was if he heard it. And if he's close or far away, he will come to him or answer to this call. If Sanji answered, Zoro will know where he is and that he's alive. And that was all what mattered to him, so he kept calling with his deep voice. Occasionally people on the street stared at him with pity and compassioned eyes, but they didn't matter to Zoro. He called desperately for his fox, waiting for some kind of sign from him to come. Everything would be good as long as he knew that he was okay and well. But he didn't get anything, no matter how long or how strong his call was. But he kept going on persistently, he won't give up until the idiot fox sent him a sign or a damned answer. He won't give up that easily, but his voice became hoarse and his throat sore. He didn't want to stop until he heared his answer, but in the end he couldn't make any more sounds anymore, his voice disappeared. And with it - his hope to find Sanji.

Zoro lowered his head with an empty chest, but no matter what, he will keep searching. No matter what will happen to him. And so he continued walking in the rain and crowded street.

Elsewhere the said fox lied down on the pillow in his new prison. He felt the ground moving but could not see anything from his bars, since the human girl put some kind of blanket on them that blocked vision. He was too exhausted to whine or to chew the bars. Even to hit his prison walls he was too worn out to do. So he just lied down, thinking about everything that he and Zoro shared together, and even before him. All his history - that he was born from being a cub until now and it wasn't that bad of life. Yes, it was terrible to lose your parents and all your brothers by a fucking human hunters bastards. But he managed to survive and he found a good companion. Zoro did help him in a lot of different ways and shapes, even if they fought and hurt each other. Sanji respected him, and he could even say he liked him in more ways he could admit to himself.

So he was complete with his fate, but was worried for the cat's future. If Sanji would not be there for him anymore, what will happen to Zoro? Would he be able to find food? Will he survive? He hoped he will, he had too! The cat is strong, he will find food for sure. He shouldn't worry so much, since that how Zoro was. He was a lucky cat, so he defiantly survive right, right?! Of course he will, then why he can't stop shaking from fear and crying? Sanji shouldn't worry so much, he knew that. But tears and the whines that came from his mouth wouldn't stop. The pained ache in his soul from not being able to see the cat again, to no longer have a chance to fight with him and not play with him. It hurt so much and he felt helpless.

On the wet and lonely neighborhood a lonely cat was walking with his ears dropped. With a frowning expression, he looked at his tired feet that kept walking. He was exhausted and hungry from the long walk and search, but he still refuse to give up. He didn't know where he was anymore or cared, what's the point if the spiral fox wasn't there. He just returned to his old lonely days of survival without a care to anything else. It felt empty, but what else could he do? Sanji was gone from his life, and that was a fact he will have to live with from now on. Unless he could find Sanji somewhere in this world again. So he just had to keep walking.

But without him noticing, a man with a suit came out from his house accompanied by two big dogs that growled at him. He had an arrogant smile and mocking eyes, he laughed when he saw the cat. But Zoro decided to ignore him, so he passed him without looking back. The man kept laughing and ordered his dogs to chase the cat, even though he didn't do anything to him. The man thought it would be interesting to see if his dogs could tear Zoro to pieces, because it made him feel important and strong.

So the two big dogs surrounded Zoro, growling at him trying to intimidate him. But Zoro didn't get scared by them or tried to run like the other cats tried. He looked at them directly in the eyes and frowned at them, growling too a little with harsh voice.

"Move away, I don't have any business with you two."

"We can't until we finish you…" One of the dogs answered.

"That's our master's orders, it's nothing against you stray cat." Said the other dog.

"So you're just going to do everything your master orders without resisting?!" Zoro growled at them with rage, but the one he hated more is the disgusting human that dared to use them against other animals without a reason. They just followed after their master, like the good dogs they were. He pitied them more then he hated them.

"He's our master, so we do! Now prepare to die." One of the dogs answered and jumped at him, holding his body they tried to rip him apart with his big teeth.

Zoro jumped back and scratched some good deep scratches. But then the other dog jumped at him and captured one of Zoro's back legs with his teeth, and pressed them hard with his mouth until one of Zoro's legs bled. Then Zoro scratch his face, and the stupid dog let his leg go. But before he managed to move again, the other dog with the hurt leg hit him forcefully on his stomach, making some huge cuts that bled on the street.

Zoro growled from pain, but still sent them an intimidating frown. There is no way he'll give up to those dogs, even if it killed him. His pride was too important then to show fear or give up to those spineless dogs that followed blindly after their master's orders. And so he gave them a good fight, and was hurt not less than them. He was proud of that, but when one of them held his legs again the other attacked him without a warning and scratched his left eye with his nails. The dog created a big scar on Zoro left eye, making him bleed from his face and lose his ability to see from that eye.

The exhaustion finally caught out to him, Zoro fell on the floor. He didn't thought he would make it, but at least he hoped, strongly he hoped in his hurt, that the idiot spiral fox was good and in more happy place than he was going to be in. And he was happy that the idiot fox won't see him like this, bleeding to death and losing pathetically to those losers.

That end didn't come, the fight was interrupted by a young child with straw hat and wooden sandals. He protected Zoro with his body from their final blow, and Zoro couldn't believe what the kid did. He heard the kid laugh, it was a dark laugh. And Zoro knew this kid was serious.

After the kid pushed the dogs away, he ran at the man that was in shock and hammered his head directly to his stomach. The man fell down and screamed at him irritated. The dogs ran to their master's side and growled.

"You damn dirty kid, how dare you hit me?! You know how much this suit cost?! How do you going to pay for that?!"

The kid was silent for a long moment and sent him a serious look. One that you don't want to mess with, if you know what's good for you.

"You sent two dogs after one cat, you coward. Dogs weren't born to hurt other cats. They are our best friends not our tools." All of his words come out calmly and seriously. Like he considered every word very carefully.

"How dare you talk to me that way?! You have no right to tell me what to do, they are my dogs. So I do what I want with them…hahahaha. I'll report you for assaulting me, damned punk. Mark my words…" He stood up to leave but was stopped by other kid with black hair and freckles that was holding the dogs with his hands.

"And where do you think you're going mister? We aren't finish yet." He smiled at him knowing what was coming next.

"D…d…don't touch me you filthy mud!" He try to run the other way, but a hand came down on his shoulder, the hand of a man with red hair, black cape and three scars across his left eye.

"Not so fast, I'm sure the people for animals rights will be glad to take care of you right away and take your dogs." With that he kicked the guy's face hard enough to make him pass out and sighed. The dogs barked but with one look from the red headed man they fell silent.

"Oi Luffy, don't go around the neighborhood causing trouble."

Luffy already moved on and bent over above the injured cat, smiling and laughing childishly.

"Shishi he deserved it. Oi, green cat! Hang on in there okay? Don't die yet..." He said, and from what Zoro could see in his blurred vision, his smile was innocent and happy.

"You gave them a good fight, you're one strong and brave cat, well done! I'm proud of you" The kid said in whisper, and petted the cat with respect. Zoro purred with delight and pride.

"Your name will be Zoro, because you are strong and too stubborn to ever give up." The kid said moving in Zoro's vision, but he was too tired to keep his focus on his lips. But the kid gave him a warm feeling, like he was saved from something, and his eyes closed. Still he could feel his body being lifted from the ground to the kid harms. Luffy held him close, and kept petting his head, Zoro lost consciousness.

"Aceeee, Shaaaaaanks! Help me! Please. I want this cat." He run to them, Ace giggled and Shanks sighed.

"I don't think he's going to make it." Shanks said.

"You always collect weird things." Ace giggled again at Luffy.

"We have to save him! Please Shanks!" He begged, Shanks smiled and lifted his hat to his head.

"Don't worry Luffy, this one looks tough. Let's hurry and take him to the vet."

"Yessssss!" Luffy cheered happily.

…

The months went by quickly as the wind outside. Zoro condition got better slowly, in the care and love from Luffy, Ace and Shanks. He couldn't believe he was still alive after all what happened to him, but he was glad he wasn't dead. The vet said he could never see again with his left eye. Luffy was a little down for him, but Zoro didn't mind that eye too much. He finally could walk and stroll by himself and he felt freer that way. Now that he could take a look around the neighborhood, it looked totally like a different place to him. After months of sleeping and eating on his special pillow, he got bored quickly, and he wanted to stretch his body so much. But he couldn't until his wounds healed, and it took some time. But after the need time was over, Shanks let him out outside.

All of them were nice, and he liked everyone in his own way. But he liked Luffy the most. He wasn't sure why from his childish behavior to the thoughtless actions, but he did. In spite of that Zoro still preferred staying by Luffy side, and most of the time when he wasn't gone to his walks, he followed him everywhere. Luffy only laughed and didn't seem to mind the cat following him. He seemed to like Zoro going after him to his adventures. But one thing he always hated about him is his pushing Zoro to the bath with him. Zoro hated that the most!

And only now, Zoro finally understand what the fox meant by the feeling of touch and how nice it was. Since Luffy petted him every now and then, he started to really like the affection of his touch. Especially behind the ears, it was wonderful. He purred every time someone from the house petted him like that, Ace liked to tease him with a toy mouse attached to a string. It drive Zoro crazy, and Ace giggled at the cat trying hard to catch the damned mouse on the string. Damn Ace and his stupid toys to tease him with. He won't come close to him ever again, Zoro swore to himself.

But he really got it now, how the fox felt every time the old human petted his head. He must have felt really lonely without him. No wonder he was in such a bad mood after he moved away. Even if Zoro wanted to convince himself he was happy where he was now, it didn't work. Even if he got food two or three times a day, they really spoiled him. He could sleep how much he wanted, and go wherever he wanted but… still… Zoro felt lonely. It's not that he didn't like Luffy or the others in the house, but he still felt extremely lonely.

From time to time Zoro went out to search for Sanji again, by his smell or by his call. But he never did find him, it made him sad that now when he was in a really good and nice place to live his life, but had no fox to share it with, since he never seemed to find him. And with the time passing that he got used to his new life, Zoro become antisocial and depressed. And Luffy was the first one to notice his change.

"Hey Ace, what should I do?" He asked whining.

"What's the problem, Luffy?" Ace ask surprised.

"Zoro doesn't nap or play with me. He just sits there all day and sulks! And when I come closer to him he glares at me." Luffy pointed to the porch, there Zoro lied with a frown looking at the sky.

"Did you try the mouse toy? He really like that one." Ace smile was filled with mischief.

"Of course I did! It didn't work either." Luffy complained, and Ace raised his eyebrow in surprise again, it never failed before. Ace thought a little and said. "Hmm maybe he got bored from it, you know. We should buy him a new toy." Ace suggested, and Luffy's eyes became stars with excitement.

"Really? And that will make Zoro happy again?"

"Hmm, it's worth a shot..."

Both of them went to a store, Luffy took his time to decide what toy to buy to Zoro. He took it very seriously as if it was a matter of life and death. In the meantime, Ace bought more cat food. Both of them went out happy. But when Luffy tried the new toy on Zoro, Zoro just moved his head away without a care and went to sit somewhere else. Luffy whined again

"Aaaaaaaace, it doesn't work!"

Ace sat in silence, not sure what to do next.

"Maybe Zoro's sick or something."

"Whaaaaaaaat? Zoro's sick?" Luffy's eyes were full of big tears. "Nooo! I don't want Zoro to die!" Luffy whined when Shanks came out to the two kids.

"What's the matter kids? Luffy, why are you crying?" The two looked at him with loss.

"Zoro is sick, that's what Ace said" Luffy whined.

"I didn't say he was sick, I said maybe he was." Ace hit his head, and Shanks laughed.

"And why do you think Zoro is sick?" He asked like they ask kids. Luffy stopped his whining and started his explanation to him.

"He always glares at me when I come to play with him, and he pees a lot on the carpet and the tree and he doesn't nap anymore and he growls at me when I try to pet him and then he just walks away to sit somewhere else and sulk." Luffy said all at once, and then took a deep breath. Shanks listened to the young kid and nodded.

"Yes, it does seem unusual."

"Right right? So we bought him a new toy at the store, but he didn't even look at it. What should I do?" Luffy asked with despair, he was very worried.

"I don't think he's sick. I think it's something a little different from what you kids think."

Luffy and Ace opened their eyes with curiosity and misunderstanding of what Shanks was trying to say to them. He laughed at the young one's innocence.

"Let me say it in a different way, I think Zoro is just lonely. Since he doesn't have any female cats nearby. And I guess it's his season for that kind of stuff." Shanks tried to explained so the kids would understand. But Luffy got angry.

"What do you mean lonely ?! I'm here with him! And Ace here with him too and-" Shanks only shook his head before he got to finish.

"It's different Luffy, it's not that he doesn't like us. But he wants some girl cat too by his side. And since he is an adult cat, he needs some company of a mate like him around."

"Then should we bring him a female cat?" Ace ask curious.

"Not necessarily, I'll talk to Law about this when he came back from his vacation." Shanks said calmly and went to the kitchen.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

Luffy pouted but didn't say anything more, and continued to run after Zoro to play with him. Zoro only glared at the kid and ran away from him. He climbed to the rooftop, laid down at the top and sighed. 'This kid sure is persistent' he thought, and looked at the sky with a frown.

"Heeeey! Zoroooo, get down from there right now! Zoroooo!" Luffy screamed, jumping around full of energy and raised his punches into the air. Zoro snorted at him and looked the other way ignoring the energetic child that kept screaming at him.

When the phone rang, And Ace came to answer it.

"Hello?.."

After one second. "Ahh, Nami. How are you? Mm? Luffy?" Ace turned his head at the screaming child in their yard, smiling.

"Just playing around, like usual. Why?" He asked, and his smiling growing bigger after a minute.

"It will be awesome! I'm sure he'll be glad to come meet you. So when do you want us?" He asked and took a piece of paper, a pencil and wrote down all the details. After he was done he said goodbye to her and hung up the phone, running to Luffy in the yard.

"Oiiii! Luffy, Nami called. She asks if you want to come visit her?"

"Ah? Nami? But Zoro is sick, I can't leave him alone."

"Stupid, she said all of us. We can take him too…"

"Aaaah, but he won't come down! Oi Zoro, come down let's go to meet Nami!"

But the stubborn cat hissed and looked away from him again. It will take a while before they could bring him down from here. And he will be sure not to make it easy for them, since he had never seen this "Nami" or wanted too.

…

Some months before that, Nami came out from Bellemere's car, happy and smiling she held Sanji's box tightly, running to their house in the countryside near a small forest. It was a small and nice house connected to the clementine field. She wanted to show Sanji his new home, but Bellemere stopped her from doing that.

"No."

"Bellemere?" Nami asked with a questioning look.

"First thing first, the vet." She winked and smiled when Nami pouted. But she went with Bellemere anyway. At the vet, Sanji growled at him and didn't hold still, he tried to bite him at every opportunity he got. He tried to run from him with all his force and it took another assistant to hold him from moving and fighting the poor vet. After the examination was over, the vet came out with a smile.

"You have nothing to worry about, miss Bellemere. Your fox is healthy and strong as a bull. Haha he's a wild one for sure."

"Thank you for examining him without appointment."

"No no, it's my pleasure." After that he gave Nami a candy and instructions on what food Sanji needed and how to take care of him. Nami listened to every word and nodded. After they were done with the vet, they finally came back to their little cozy home. Nami showed Sanji all the parts in the house and Sanji wasn't sure what to do now. He wanted to find Zoro first and tell him that he was okay, but he wasn't sure where he was.

At the first opportunity Sanji ran out outside and saw the most amazing thing he has ever seen - so much green and trees and birds. He wasn't in the big city anymore, he was so close to nature and the forest, he was shocked by all the new things he saw around him. It was much smaller place and less crowded and much more calm. The fox felt good to be there, but he still wanted to find the green cat.

So after some days passed, he waited for the night to come, and ran away from the village to start his journey back to the city. He wasn't sure how to come back there or how to find Zoro. But he had to try, at least once. But his journey didn't last long and after some days passed soon enough he collapsed in the middle of the road. Starving and thirsty he couldn't move any more.

After his escape, Nami cried and searched for him everywhere in the village without any luck. In her room she sat with her legs folded, hiding her face in them, crying and sniffing on her bed. Nojiko looked at her from behind with sad face, and came to comfort her with her hands on her shoulders.

"Don't worry Nami, we'll find him soon. He couldn't have gotten far from here. It's too far."

"How do you know?! … He could be anywhere!" She screamed a little, and sniffed again.

With a sigh, Bellemere leaned on the door to the two girls' room, folding her hands together. With a cigarette in her mouth she spoke in calm voice.

"I told you he was a wild animal and that he could run away."

Nami was silenced and didn't answer, only continuing her sniffing, holding tight his bowl to her chest. She didn't care Sanji was wild, she only wanted him to come back to her. She liked the fox. Bellemere blew out some smoke from her cig and continued.

"Don't worry girls, I thought something like that might happen so I put something on him just in case. If we were lucky, someone will pick him up and bring him to us." She said smiling and Nami raised her head, tears on her cheeks.

"What do you mean, Bellemere?"

Bellemere winked and left the girls room.

"Don't worry, now we only need to wait and pray." Bellemere said and started to make diner.

With fate's hand, Sanji got found by a young kid that went by the road with his mom one night to their home. His hair was black and curly and had a long nose, he wore a brown bandana. When he bent down to examine the fox that laid on the ground unconscious. He touched him a little with his fingertips to see if he was still alive, and the fox moved a little to his touch. The kid moved away and called his mom.

"Mom come here. He still alive…" He said and the mom came to have a look.

"Oh my, you're right Usopp. Poor thing..."

"Should we take him home with us, mom? We can't just leave him here." He asks and looks at her with pleading eyes, he felt sorry for the poor fox. His mom smiled and checked the collar on his neck, smiling softly at Usopp in a calming manner.

"I don't think it would be necessary, Usopp"

At that night, Bellemere heard a knock on her door and immediately went to open it. She wasn't surprise to find their run away fox sleeping in the hands of a young kid with curly hair that looked at her with sad eyes.

"Excuse me but... We found him on our way home and found your address on his collar so we thought... Is he yours?"

Nojiko was second to come to check out who was at the door and smiled widely when she saw the kid in the door way, Bellemere was right. Bellemere nodded to the kid with a big welcoming smile.

"Thank you for bringing him home, we started to worry about this little guy." She thanked them and invited them in, calling Nami to come here as an order.

Nami heard the order, and at first she wanted to refuse but in the end she got up on her feet anyway. Hoping to hear that it will be okay, that somehow her pet came back to her. And when she got out of her room and saw who come to visit, she covered her mouth eye shaking. Her tears flowed out from her eyes, joy and relief filling her. Her body shook but she moved and began running to him.

"Sa... Sa... Sanji!" She screamed and jumped at Usopp. At first Usopp got startled, but after a while he sighed in relief and gave her the fox gently, knowing for sure that the fox indeed belonged to her. Sanji woke up from the movement and shook a little bit in her harms. Nami held him tight to her cheek, hugging him close with warming touch when his head rested on her shoulder.

"You idiot Sanji! Why did you leave?! Idiot idiot, stupid idiot Sanji! I should punish you! You know how worried I was?! Idiot idiot stupid Sanji"

She screamed and let the tears out of her system, knowing that the worst was over. And that her Sanji was safe, at that very moment. And Sanji understood then that he could never go back to the big city again. No matter how much he tried, and with that he could never see Zoro again. He was sad, but also tired. So he gave up on trying. For him, it was his home now, and he would stay here with this new family and the little girl even if it broke his heart. He didn't want to make her sad ever again.

Bellemere laughed a little and invited the new guests to eat dinner with them, they accepted the offer with warm smiles. The kid introduced himself as Usopp and Bellemere introduced her family as well and showed them their house. From that day on they became very close friends.

It took Sanji three weeks to recover, and Nami fed him carefully every day and took care of all his needs. Sometimes she pet his head with affection, in all honesty he was glad to be with her again. He liked the little girl that took care of him.

After he finally got all better, Nami didn't let him go anywhere without a leash. It was a little uncomfortable and frustrating. Sanji really hated that thing! But he understood her feelings and fear of losing him, even though he wouldn't run away again anyway, he learned his lesson. But she didn't keep it for more than a month. And he was free again to run around and walk to wherever he wanted after that month was over.

Also they gave him two new rules to do in the house, his first task was to help steal things the little girl wanted without anyone finding them out. Witch was very easy for Sanji to do, since he was very fast. The things she wanted him to steal helped her draw a map and study navigation. He did an awesome job at that, if he could say so himself. The cashier was so pissed off when he found out what he stole without him noticing that he wanted to hunt him but Nami's mother defend him. Nami laughed hard and hugged Sanji with excitement, happy smile all over her face.

"Good job Sanji! Good job! We showed him."

His second task was to help the Nami's mother to maintain and guard her clementine field. What he did for her every day from anyone that tried to destroy or steal from it, he was there to bite their asses and chase them away. Sometimes he brought clementines that fell to the ground to her hands, and she pet him with a grateful smile. Sanji liked that lady a lot, she has style and special grace.

He also got along very well with the long nosed kid named Usopp. He always liked to watch with curiosity his weird experiments with chemicals and drawing, hear his foolish talk about something he didn't care, but pretended to listen anyway. Sanji liked to climb on his head the most and look at his hands moving. Usopp was one special kid, he wasn't sure what all the things he was trying to build were, but it was interesting to watch him work.

The long nosed boy from Sanji's side pets him and Sanji was happy to have him around. The little girl often fought with him about who was going to have Sanji today, and while they were at that, Sanji gone off to his nice walk in the forest. From all the places in that village, he liked the forest the most. He felt like home in there, and he found some great spots to hang around.

He also found some females fox's there, but not from his species. They were a little bigger than him in size, but he didn't mind. Even after he swooned after them or tried to court them it didn't seem to work. Sanji figured they were not interested or they had some other male fox to go after so he gave up. For his surprise he didn't mind that too much anymore, but he still loved to chase after females. And after some more time, he met a new friend it the forest, a friend he always came back to visit.

He was a small reindeer cub, it surprised him since he was alone all the time. At first the reindeer was afraid of him and tried to push him away with his horns. But with some time, the reindeer got used to Sanji presence and he often came to meet him. After some days, Sanji tried to talk to the reindeer a little. His first question was why he was all alone, and where was his pack.

Since he never seen reindeers staying alone in one place, it was too dangerous to be alone and all the reindeers he ever saw were always together with their pack. But this one was completely alone, without anyone by his side. It made Sanji worried a little for the cub.

The reindeer only lowered his neck in a sad expression, he didn't answer him. But Sanji didn't ask him anymore, he only stayed there and climbed to his horns to sit.

"Hi, what are you doing?"

"Relaxing. Don't move around too much, okay?"

"Why are you sitting on me?" The reindeer asked with a stupid look.

"Because… Well… No reason. I guess you remind me a little of myself sometimes, when I think about my pack."

After a long silence, the reindeer spoke again. "Did they… I mean, did they threw you away too?"

Sanji looked at the reindeer's eyes, and sighed. "Is that what happened to you? Your pack just expelled you?" He asked gently, he had no way avoiding it, the reindeer nodded with sadness.

"I was too weak, and that's what the elder reindeer decided. I was alone for some time, but a human adopted me one day. He called me Chopper."

"Ahh that a nice name, then… why aren't you with him now?" Sanji was too curious with reindeer's story.

The reindeer moved his head sideways, crying a little. "He was sick… I couldn't do anything to save him. And oneday, he just stopped moving and breathing."

"I see, sorry…." Sanji gave him a little apologizing lick on his nose and jumped down smoothly on the grass, resting a little in the warm sun that peeked through the leaves of the trees. The reindeer sat next to him and watched him shyly, Sanji guessed he was a very young one.

"So… your pack?" He asked shyly, and Sanji sighed.

"They all got killed, I don't know how I survived and stayed alive. But most of them got killed by the human hunters. Not that they ever given me a chance anyway.."

The reindeer seemed about to cry, and Sanji moved his head sideways. "Don't worry about it. It's in the past…but you know, I met this one cat and I felt like he was very fun to be with, well.. let's just say I will never see him again. So I know how it feels like to lose something important twice."

"It hurt a lot. Why can't you see him?" The reindeer asked.

"Because he was in the big city, where I come from." The reindeer's eyes widened at him.

"The big city? What is that?"

Sanji only sighed and smiled. "It's hard to explain, but it's very very far away. I tried to come back there but it's impossible. I'm sure that idiot is okay somehow up there, just without me." He lowered his head on the grass, feeling a deep stone in his throat.

"I miss him! I miss him so much." The reindeer lowered his neck and sniffed a little, and Sanji decided to forget his pain and concentrate on the sad reindeer. So he got up and jumped on his back, hugging him lightly with his tail.

"Oi now… cheer up, at least you're not alone now. You have me, I'll come to visit you every day. So cheer up!"

The reindeer raised his head at him, looking at him surprise. "Really? You would do that for me?"

Sanji smiled and touched his forehead with his legs. "Yes, I will. I won't leave you here alone! And I'll let you meet my master and her family I live with. I'm sure you'll like them."

The reindeer seemed a little frightened and hesitant. "Will they… hurt me?"

"Of course not! They are good humans, trust me. But you don't have to meet them right away. When you will be ready tell me, I'll lead you to them."

The reindeer smiled a big smile and his eyes sparkled with happiness in them until Sanji heart melt, he was glad he met the reindeer, and could talk to him and make him happy. It was something good that could distract him from his stupid cravings.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late in uploading, this week was crazy for me. in teeth matter -.- I still feeling sick from it. still I want to thank to all readers that read this story, I hope you enjoy what the next chapters will bring as well.  
> sorry about the grammar mistakes, it was my doing.  
> love you all and thanks for reading my story, the next one's will come sooner.


	6. Chapter 6

 

The months go by, and Sanji feels his pain growing more and more inside of himself. He loves his current place, but… it starts to hurt more deeply to stay there thinking of the cat. Even though he knows that he'll never see him again or smell his scent, it was painful to the fox. His appetite fell down a lot and he didn't feel like doing anything. Not even his tasks, that was very wrong from his part, and he hated himself for it. Of course he still went to visit the reindeer, but the reindeer felt that something was wrong with him. Sanji tried his best to hide his pain away from the animal, but he never got it anyway, since he was too young. Sanji knew that no one could help him with this, it was his problem. He felt lonely and hurt.

One morning, after Nami was done talking to the phone, she tried to feed Sanji from her hand but he rans away from her, hiding himself somewhere.

"Come on Sanji! Eat it! What's wrong with you?! You don't come to steal with me anymore." She complained and tried to put food in his mouth since he didn't seem to eat anything anymore, but Sanji got up from where he was and sprinted from her so fast that she barely could catch him with her eyes and turned to the forest.

"Hey! Sanji, where are you going?! Ugh, come back!" She wanted to chase after him but Nojiko's voice stopped her.

"What's wrong Nami?" Nojiko came out from the house.

"Sanji… He's weird lately." She said and looked at ground with serious expression.

"Weird? Maybe he's tired or something."

Nami pouted and put her head between her knees. "Stupid Sanji!"

In the deep forest said fox fond a good spot in a cave. It was on a big rock at the end of the cave, and he sat there with his body folded in circle shape and grizzled with little voice to himself. He knew it was hopeless to cry about it, but he just couldn't help it. He missed Zoro, he wanted to see him and fight him and be with him. It hurt him in a way he didn't believe that could exist.

But for a while, he wanted to be alone - to deal with his pain, his emotions and his longing for Zoro by himself.

That day was the day Luffy decided to come and visit Nami's house, of course she was happy to see the stupid boy, even though he was so childish and annoyed her like nobody else could and ate all of her food. But other times, she really enjoyed playing with him and his brother Ace. They were an awesome trio, especially with Ace that was a little mischief kid. Together they liked to trick people just for fun. She also was going to show them the new kid she meet, Usopp. She wondered how this shy and insecure kid will blend in their small group, and she hoped he will, since he didn't seem to have many friends of his age. Nami figured it must be because he was really shy and loved to lie a lot, and in her opinion it was a shame.

Luffy jumped first from the car and stretched his body out, happy smile on his face after him Ace jumped out too and left Zoro in the car, Zoro shook his body from the long ride. For Zoro, the ride that was an hour and a half felt like forever and it was a nightmare to sit still on Luffy's legs. It made him restless, since Luffy didn't usually take him for such long rides and he moved all the fucking time! But finally they stopped, he got off him as soon he could and shook his body.

The first thing they saw was Nami running to them with her white dress, welcoming them with a smile.

"Heyyy Luffy! Ace! " She waved and Luffy waved back.

"Namiiii hiii!" Luffy screamed and Ace smiled at her.

But Zoro only opened his eyes wide and his ears perked up. He was so shocked and out of breath all at once that he could barely move from his position. His heart was pounding, he wasn't ready for this at all. He was going to give up and was so sure he wouldn't smell this scent ever again, this familiar and nice scent that he searched for so much. This amazing scent that he knew by heart and to who it's belonged to, but he still couldn't believe his nose.

He searched for this scent so long that it seem unbelievable. And here, in this place without him even trying, he could finally smell him on that girl. The fox's smell was so strong and clear, it was almost unbearable to the cat.

Without any hesitation he ran at her, jumping at her dress and climbed up all the way to her shoulder and head sniffing the fox's deep scent to make sure. It really was him, he was sure now, but why?! And what was he doing here?! The girl yelled from surprise and tried to move away, she seemed confused and scared of the cat's sudden behavior. But he didn't care, he knew what he wanted to find and he will find him.

Zoro jumped from her shoulder and ran where the smell led, neither Luffy or Ace could stop him or go after him. Luffy looked at the cat with confusion and Ace raised his eyebrow. They came closer to shocked Nami that calmed down a bit and got angry at the cat

"Oi Luffy, what's up with your cat?! He tried to attack me!" She hissed with anger.

"Shishi, sorry Nami. I didn't think he would do that.." Luffy laughed it off at the angry girl.

"It's not funny you idiot! He could have really hurt me!" She screamed at him and wrapped her arms together. Ace nodded his head at her.

"That's strange, Zoro usually is very quiet and calm cat. Did you do something to piss him off?"

"How should I know! I just came here to say hello, it's not my fault." Nami said confidently defending herself.

"Mm…very weird…" Ace shook his head and Luffy came closer to her energetically.

"Nami… when we going to have lunch? And where's your fox you kept talking about?" Nami's face brightened immediately and she smiled with a warm smile.

"Ohh you mean Sanji? Well I wanted to bring him to show you guys but he ran away this morning. I don't know when he'll come back." She explained, Luffy looked disappointed.

"Gah and I wanted to see him." Luffy pouted like a little kid.

"Don't you worry about him, Nami? What if he won't come back? I mean it can be dangerous in the woods." Ace asked concerned a little. Nami smiled a little sadly and nodded.

"He won't leave me again, I'm sure! …I trust Sanji, even if it's weird I know he won't run away from me. I just know it, so he'll definitely return soon… definitely." Her voice was soft and small, but full of confidence. Luffy and Ace smiled at her.

"Then it's fine, let's play tag." Luffy offered to them and they agreed.

In the meantime, Zoro kept running in circles in the woods, the smell was mixed with other animals' smells. And it made it difficult for Zoro to find the right way, since many of the smells were new to him. He kept feeling like the woods were playing tricks on him, and moved on purpose just to confuse him. What was this place's problem with him anyway?! So he kept running and running from tree to tree, and had no idea where he was, he shouted sometimes Sanji's special call.

Sanji was napping on the cold stone he chose to sit on, perked up his ears. He wasn't sure what was it, but he was sure that someone was using his call. So he raised up his head, his eyes wide.

'This smell… Zoro? No it can't be.' Sanji thought and jumped from the rock on the ground. He wasn't sure if he imagined Zoro's smell or if it was real. Maybe he finally lost it from all the longing he felt?

Sanji left the cave in slow pace, strolling after the grass cat's smell, that was all over the forest by now. What the hell was the idiot cat doing? Playing with himself? How much he could run after his tail or something? It made him smile to think about Zoro chasing after his own tail, but how the hell he got here in the first place?

He didn't notice the cat was behind him glaring at his tail, shaking in all his body. He finally found the bastard fox, and he's not let him get away this time. Zoro opened in a run after him, jumping behind him and catching him with his paws from his back like he was his prey, holding him tight to the ground.

"I found you, you bastard fox! You thought I won't found you?!" Zoro growled at the wide eyed and speechless fox that gasped from surprise and shock. Just then Zoro bit him and nibbled hard near his neck, making Sanji whip a little with a hiss. The fox tried to run away from his hold wildly and to push Zoro away.

"Stop it! Zoro..! Get off now!" Sanji glared back at him and bit one of his hands, making Zoro grimace in pain, what made the cat even more angry.

"What?! It's your fault, you dumbass fox!"

Keeping his teeth deep in his flesh, Zoro made sure Sanji couldn't run away from him and stayed put right where he was. He wasn't sure why he was so forceful on the fox, but he didn't care. He finally found him, and he was never letting him go. Never!

"I said that's enough Zoro!" Sanji growled and bit his throat so hard that Zoro felt like he was choking. Only then Zoro got the massage, and with no will at all, he let the fox go from his hold. But he didn't stop sending him murdering glared while growling.

"Why the hell did you do that for, you damn fox?!"

"Because what you did fucking hurt! What has gotten into you, damn grass cat?! You almost killed me right now!"

"This is my question, damn spiral eyebrow fox! What's got into you to go away like that?!" He growled with anger without even thinking about it. Zoro just wanted an answer to what made the fox to go away from him, to leave him all alone.

Sanji sighed deeply and came closer to him, he should have realized Zoro's point, but it still didn't give him the right to attack him like that. He couldn't explain anything or say goodbye to him before the girl took him away with her. He must have been really confused and upset all this time about him.

"Sorry Zoro…" Sanji said and licked his neck in apology. But Zoro only looked angrier, he forced Sanji to the ground again on his back without any kindness, and start to lick his fur and body all over with anger. Biting his front neck from time to time, so he wouldn't move too much.

"Don't even start with your bullshit! You think that simple apology is enough, think again spiral fox! I'll punish you right here and now!" Zoro growled under his breath and continued licking him roughly, while Sanji twitched and whined. He didn't like the rough treatment even though it made him feel all crazy things and goes into heat. Zoro's tongue felt good even though he was rough on him.

"N… No Zoro! I don't need to bath, I already had a shower today!" Sanji protested and tried to move away from Zoro's tongue, it wasn't good to his body heat.

"Shut up! I'm going to clean this disgusting smell out of you from humans no matter what you do! So shut your trap and lay down!"

"What kind of shitty punishment is that, stupid cat?! She's my master and it wasn't my fault she liked to pet me so much… Zoro…" Sanji whined. "I don't want to get cleaned up and stop being so rough on me, you asshole grass cat!" He screamed more at Zoro while Zoro smiled at him with his evil smile.

"This is a punishment not a pleasure cleanup, stupid spiral fox, so shut your damn trap! You're going to get cleaned up and that's it!" Zoro decided and returned to licking his fur, not leaving anything not cleaned by his tongue in the fox's body. In the end, Sanji gave up on trying to get away and only wept with moans from time to time. He knew that Zoro wouldn't hurt him, and he trusted him with his life. Zoro's cleaning wasn't so bad, and he didn't mind Zoro's tongue licking his fur. Although he preferred it to be more gentle and tender. Fucking bastard! His drool will be all over his body, now he really needed a shower, at least he was grateful it wasn't a painful punishment.

After Zoro was done his cleaning, that almost made Sanji die from the heat he felt, Zoro rested his head on Sanji's stomach and took his scent deep into his lungs. Maybe he really was addicted to this smell since he couldn't stop sniffing him again and again. He felt Sanji's heartbeat, and it calmed him. He finally felt peaceful and harmonic, but something was different in Sanji, and it's worried him.

"By the way, did they feed you here? You're more skinny then I remember." Zoro asked and looked at him, while Sanji looked away from his prying eyes, feeling embarrassed.

"It's not like that, lately I was … just … a little depressed so I didn't have much appetite, don't worry about it." Sanji said and his face got hot and red. He was glad the cat was worried over him, but didn't want him to know all of this was because of him. He wasn't that desperate for him …right!?

"You have appetite now right? I'm hungry!" Zoro pushed him, he wouldn't let him continue like this, and Sanji rolled his eyes.

"What about you? What the hell happen to your eye? It's looks painful."

"Uh this, well.. I'll tell you later. Some shit happened after you disappeared." With that sentence, Zoro rose from Sanji and started to stride away with Sanji walking after him who was shaking his body after the weird shower Zoro gave him.

"If I was there… it wouldn't have happened to you, would it?.." Sanji asked full of guilt and lowered his head, which pissed Zoro off.

"Don't even think about it, curly eyebrow fox!" He growled glaring at him and took his tail in his mouth, dragging him with himself to the direction he wanted to go without asking.

"Ouch, shitty cat! Where the hell are you taking me?! And stop biting my beautiful tail, you idiot!" Sanji started planting his nails in the ground and hissed with a warning at the cat. Refuseing to be dragged away by him, and scratched him with his feet. Zoro only growled irritated and dragged him even stronger than before.

"We're going to eat now, stop fighting!" He growled.

"You're going the wrong way, dumbass!"

"Shut up, dartboard brow fox!"

"Stop that you damn shitty cat! It fucking hurt! Stop!"

But Zoro continued to drag Sanji away by his tail with a smile, while Sanji cursed him some more with very colorful curses since it was very painful to him to be drag by his tail. Until he had no choice but to leave his tail by Sanji screeching his face and warning to kill him if he won't let go off his tail, so Zoro did as he was told and followed Sanji.

It was great spending time with the fox again. Even though the fox growled and threatened to kill him too many times now!

After two hours Zoro and Sanji finally came out from the woods, the sun was in the middle of the sky and almost set. Sanji led Zoro to his place where his bowl of food was, left untouched. He felt so hungry all of a sudden, very hungry like he didn't eat for years. They both ate from the same bowl, what reminded Sanji of their old days and it brought his heart warm feelings. It felt good to eat together again and when he raised his head he saw Zoro smiling as well, the feeling was mutual.

After they were done eating, Sanji gave Zoro a little bite on his ear, which made Zoro twitch and look at him. "What was that for spiral fox?"

"It's Sanji, shitty grass cat! Come with me, I want to show you something."

With that Sanji left the room without looking back, Zoro stood there with wide eyes staring at him going away and then ran after him. He decided to let Sanji lead him to wherever he wanted to take him, since he trusted the fox completely now. And he could finally admit to himself - he loved Sanji, with all of his heart. He loved him, and he was ready to go anywhere with him. He wanted to stay near by his side, it was funny how only now he could admit all of this shit, after he almost lost sight of him forever.

After some walking, through which Zoro could only stare at the fox's tail, they stopped or more accurately Sanji stopped and sat down where they seemed to be on a hill next to a big old tree. Sanji moved his tail playfully, looking at the sun and all the other houses - full view of the village. From this distance the sun was going to set it looked beautiful, with all kinds of colors.

Zoro looked at Sanji confused, and sat beside him. After he looked where the fox was watching, he really was taken aback. It was… something else. This place, how the hell Sanji found this place?! And why he chose to show him this… Zoro will never know.

"It's pretty and romantic don't you think? I liked it too, it's my favorite spot. When I want to think about things, I come here sometimes." Sanji says and lays down comfortably on the grass with Zoro seriously staring at him, Sanji didn't bother to look back at him. In the end Zoro lays down with Sanji, looking at the simple houses and trees with a frown.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

The fox was too quiet at these moments, and Zoro didn't like it! It made him want to start a fight with him only to break this annoying silence, to find out something from him. What was he thinking? But after a while Sanji finally spoke.

"Can you… tell me more about this. What happened to you when I wasn't there?"

Now Sanji looked at him, guilty but mostly sad about his eye. Zoro only made an annoyed noise and glared at him a little. He didn't like where he was getting at and especially not this look. Sanji didn't need to feel guilty or sad about anything that happened, god damn it!

"Stop that! Didn't I say I was fine already?! Don't you dare looked at me like that or I'm really going to kill you!"

Zoro growls at him and Sanji laughs with relief. That laugh was full of light to Zoro, it made him smile.

"You stupid grass cat, I was just curious… who actually managed to scratch you so bad? Must have been very strong animal or some very tiny one." Sanji provoked in good measure, he really missed their arguments about everything in the world.

"Shut up spiral brow! It wasn't tiny and I didn't lose! I was against two damn stupid dogs! And I was tired like shit." Zoro growled at him irritated, but smiled at the same time. He missed this, with all their stupid shit they did and fights they had all the time.

Sanji looked at his close eye, and stared at his paws again, serious for a moment but only for a moment. He smiled at him teasingly.

"At least you beat their asses a little before you fell, right?"

"Of course I did! I'm not weak like you."

"What did you say, grassy?! I'm not weak either, say it again and I'll bite your tail off right back to that damn city!"

Sanji screamed at him and Zoro laughed so hard that his stomach hurt. Sanji's annoyed sneer turn into smile. He really was happy now, in this moment, with Zoro. But he knew that he'll have to tell Zoro what he needed to tell the grass cat but he wasn't sure he wanted to tell the cat everything. Zoro woke him from his wandering thoughts by light bite, he was serious now.

"But I was in a really bad shape, mostly because I refused to believe that you left me. It wasn't like you at all to just leave. So I searched but… I never did find you. And then Luffy found me, I like him." Zoro says slowly and calmly, trying to choke down the pain that was still left in him. It was hard to tell Sanji all of what happened, even if he really wanted to tell him.

"I… Zoro.." Sanji started but then Zoro looked at him with a big proud smile.

"It seems you can't get rid of me so easily spiral fox, so you better remember that for the next time you decide to take your tail away from me! Cause I will find and drag you back!"

Sanji's eyes opened wide and he blushed deep red on his face, he heard his heart race. Oh shit, he was so happy he could just die right there. It was all Zoro's fault. The fox tried his best to lower his head and hide his face away from Zoro, he felt so stupid.

"Like hell it's ever happening again you dumbass!" Sanji said and pushed his face away to the other side, with Zoro giggling at his embarrassed state.

"I… really wanted to tell you… I wanted to speak with you, but I didn't make it in time before I was taken away." Sanji looked down with hard look in his eyes. It was hard to start but he had to do it at some point. Zoro also became serious.

"By that human girl, right?" Zoro finished and Sanji nodded.

"Yes. At first I was scared of her and I didn't know where she was taking me or what she going to do with me. You know, it was hard to stay. I even tried to run one time… but now, I like this place very much and her. I didn't leave you like this because I wanted to but I want to stay here." Sanji explained with a small smile and looked at the view that spread in front of them, he looked really happy.

Zoro couldn't ask him to come with him, he just could not do it or wanted to. As long as Sanji was happy, then he was happy as well. He won't be selfish like that, because he loved him that much, he wouldn't ask.

"Sorry Zoro, you came all this way for me, and yet… I won't come back with you." Sanji said with a sad voice and lowered his head to the grass in shame, but Zoro smiled and shook his head, this idiot was over thinking things again! He gave him some gentle licks at his ears and head. Zoro could feel his heart beating too fast for Sanji, it was bad and getting too strong for his own good. And Sanji only blushed and didn't look at him, his body shaking a little from his gesture.

"Uh umm Zoro… What are…"

"I didn't come this far to take you away, you idiot! I just wanted to see you somehow. Sure I would be more than happy if you came with me but… I will never ask you something so stupid. Instead I will always come to see you."

Sanji looked at him with shaken eyes, he almost wanted to cry and hug Zoro hard and his heart almost exploded from Zoro's words.

"Really? You won't… but how are you going to do that..?" Zoro yawned and bit his ear playfully, closing his eyes.

"Yes, stop talking. I'm going to sleep now."

"You ass! And it was such a good and romantic moment..!" Sanji hissed with angry vein that popped up in his forehead, he sent him daggers with his eyes.

"Oh bite me stupid fox." Zoro answered and yawned again.

"Fuck you grass cat!"

"Are you deaf curly brow or just stupid?"

"Who are you calling deaf, asshole cat?!"

"You, since you can't get what I was saying the first time: I. Want. To. Sleep."

Another vein popped up in Sanji's forehead, he liked the cat but sometimes he really wanted to kill his sorry ass, this cat was pushing it!

"Like I give a damn of what you want, asshole cat! You can go and get run over by a car for all I care!"

"What did you say?!" A vein in Zoro forehead showed up.

They continued to argue and fight for another hour or two, until they both were too tired to continue, pouting like the idiots they were. Sanji smiled to himself in calm manner.

"What are you smiling about?!"

"It's been so long that I and you… Zoro." Sanji raised his head at him suddenly, looking at him in weird way and Zoro wondered what it meant to the fox.

"What?!" He asked and before the cat could react Sanji touched his nose with his, making them kiss and licked his mouth.

"Haha missed you."  Sanji giggled at the blushing cat that got piss off and jumped on him.

"You bastard! ... I wanted to do it first! Stupid spiral fox I hate you!" He growled and jumped on the fox, fighting him playfully with his paws

"Do it first? Do what?" Sanji barked at him

"Grr you know what, asshole! I wanted to do it first! Now I can't, annoying spiral fox!" Zoro snarled angrily at the fox and bit his neck, making him hiss at him.

"What is it matter to you fucking dumb cat?! I'll bite you to death!"

"The matter, I… love you from the first time… I wanted to tell you first. Damn you!" Zoro wanted to continue but couldn't let himself, Sanji smile went wide and warm at Zoro's anger. Melting the cat's anger in seconds, damn him and his shitty influence on him.

"You idiot…" Sanji giggled and bite his ear.

"First time or not, I didn't kiss anyone but you. So shut up and just kiss me back and it will be our both first time" Sanji said and Zoro snored at him, but took his offer. He really loved this fox.

"Then I will take your first kiss." He said smiling proudly at himself and rubbed his nose with Sanji's nose, to the point the fox was blushing and looking away.

"Who taking it?! I gave it to you, you green idiot!" Sanji snorted at him, and Zoro grumbled and continued to rub his nose with Sanji's.

"Shut it! I'll still take it first." Zoro said with pride and Sanji rolled his eyes.

"Whatever grass cat, just shut up about it damn you!"

They continued to touch and cling to each other, kissing with their noses, and purrs in a way that Sanji didn't think he could ever make for the green cat. He felt good with Zoro playfully touching and biting him, that he never want to let him go and clung to him.

"You're so clingy today… What's up with you stupid fox?"

The fox shook his head; he didn't want to look at the cat right now it was too damn stupid.

"It's just… what if it's a dream and you'll disappear after I wake up?" Sanji's voice was out of it even though he didn't want to let the cat know.

Zoro laughed deeply, licking his face warmly.

"It's not, you idiot! Do I look like a dream?!" With that whisper, Zoro kept licking his face and ears, showing his love and how much he cared about him. It made Sanji purr loudly with pleasure and enjoyment that he never felt before.

"Mm Zoro… mmm…"

"Sanji~" Zoro purred and kissed him again.

But their warm moment did not last long before the voice calling the other kids come.

"Uh found them, over here… they're over here you guys!" Nami called them innocently. Zoro growled at her to go away and all of his body curled threateningly, he hated so much when someone disturbed him, especially now when he was finally with Sanji again. And Sanji smell on her still pissed him off, damn this annoying human!

Zoro growl didn't scare her, instead she picked up Sanji from the ground and hugged him, teasing mad Zoro that growled and hissed at her defensively.

"What the hell?! Put him down you witch!" Zoro hissed stubbornly, getting ready to scratch all over her face. She really pissed him off, how dared she just take his fox away.

"Oi! Don't growl at her like that, you shitty cat!" Sanji growled back.

"You shut up and don't defend her, stupid spiral fox!"

"Don't tell me what to do, shitty grass cat!"

They both growled at each other loudly.

"Grrr!"

When Luffy finally arrived with Ace, and when he saw the green cat he smiled with his big smile his teeth showing while laughing.

"Shishishi, there you are Zoroooo!" He called happily and raised him to his arms, hugging him tightly.

"How did you find them Nami?" Ace asked.

"Dunno, I just walking around and here they were, licking each other. It was so cute." Nami giggled and Sanji felt a little uncomfortable in her grip and hotness on his cheeks. Ace hummed playfully and smiled.

"Who would have thought, Zoro actually will get along with other animal." Ace commented with disbelieve and Luffy laughed.

"Isn't it great? They seem happy together, shishi."

"Yes it's great! Our pets are good friends too, so next time you come here bring Zoro along, so we all can play together. I'm sure they would be happy to see each other again." Nami offered happily, she was very happy that her beloved pet was getting along with her best friend's cat. It was good progress, since he seemed a little down lately.

Luffy nodded at her with his happy, big smile. "Of course, but we need to go now. Shanks said he wants to be home before the dark." Luffy said and lift Zoro in his arms, taking him and walking down from the hill with Zoro growling with Nami coming after him and lowered her head a little.

"It was so fun to play together although you two are idiots!" She said. She didn't like to say good bye, but she knew they'll come back to visit her again.

"Don't worry Nami, we will come back with Zoro very soon, shishi… right Ace?"

"Of course we will!"

"And don't you dare to forget about me or I'll make you two suffer!" She pouted.

"We promise, right Luffy?" Ace assured her and Luffy nodded.

"You are our friend, Nami. I will never forget a friend!" Luffy says strongly and she smiles again.

But to Sanji and Zoro, that saw how they had been taken apart from one another it was a different story. They both watched helplessly how every of their masters taking him away from the other. Sanji with a shock and painful expression and Zoro with a frown and anger at the fox getting far away from his grasp. He didn't want to be apart from him again, and hell he won't let them do this! Sanji felt the same way, he loved Nami but he didn't wish to be separated from Zoro.

There were so many things he wanted to ask him, and share with the cat. He wanted to stay by his side way more than he did before!

After so long they didn't see each other, he wanted to stay with him badly! Why they just decided to separate them like this?! It wasn't fair! They never asked them if they wanted this, and both sent a meaningful look at each other. They both understood each other to such a level that they didn't need to say anything more.

Zoro started to fight Luffy's hold, scratching him deeply and biting his hands. Confused Luffy wasn't sure what was happing and weakened his grip on the raging cat. "Ughhh! What is it Zoro? Uhhh." Luffy whined and Zoro got free from his hold, and sprinted from the startled children to the forest just like Sanji. Only he didn't hurt Nami's hands, he managed to slip away from her grasp smoothly and ran the same way as Zoro joining him in a fast sprint. The children didn't know what had come over them all of sudden.

In the meantime, Zoro and Sanji ran together at the same speed, close to each other and smirking. They hoped they tought them their lesson - never to separate them again!

The three kids just stood there, with open mouths and dumbfounded eyes. Not sure what the hell made the two animals behave like that. And where the hell did they ran off to?!

After a while of awkward silence, Luffy was the first one that started to laugh cheerfully at this, falling to the ground, and after him Ace started to laugh too. Nami was the only one that sighed in despair at the two laughing children and at the two stupid animals that just ran away without any reason.

"This is absurd! What came over them?! Oi, Luffy it's not funny this is serious! Now how are we supposed to find these two idiot's!" Nami shouted and hit Luffy's head with good fist and Luffy fell to the ground still laughing like crazy.

"Ouch! Shishishi… but it's sooo funny… shishishi."

"It's not funny at all, you idiot!"

Shanks came out from Nami's house with Bellemere, and approached them. Looking at them a little surprised. "What's going on kids?"

"Ahh Shanks, Shanks, listen to this, Zoro and Sanji ran away together. So we can't go home shishi." Luffy giggled and got a hit to his head again by Nami that glared at him.

"Maybe we should go and bring them back?" Nami asked Shanks and Bellemere, not sure what to do.

Bellemere and Shanks only nodded to each other with a little smile, Bellemere foldded her harms together. She sent a quick look at Luffy and then at Nami again, sighing. "It seems you don't get it, do you kids?" She said eventually, and when the kids looked at them confused Shanks continued after her.

"You see kids… It seem they get along so well that…"

"They don't want to be separated. Animals are not toys that you can grab around with you everywhere when you feel like it. They can feel lonely and sad too." Bellemere smiled a little more and closed her eyes.

"So… that means we can't.." Nami got what the adults were trying to say but also saw a big problem ahead.

"Yep. It seems that we have to decide who's going to take care of them, together. We can't have them in two houses, so you kids will have to decide it yourself." Shanks said and giggled a little at the all situation. It was a little funny when he really thought about it.

The kids were silent for a little while, and looked at each other seriously not enjoying the situation like Shanks did, when Luffy declared all of sudden. "I won't go home without Zoro! He is my friend, so I won't leave him!"

Right after him Ace spoke too. "If Luffy's staying, then I stay too. That would be fun." Ace said with a big smile.

"I won't give you Sanji, never! He's mine! And his home is with me!" Nami declared with confidence and crossed her arms stubbornly.

It seemed both kids wouldn't give up on their pets, so Shanks offered a compromise together with Bellemere who loved the idea. "Then let's do it this way, since none of you will give up let's make a little a deal that benefit all of us."

"A deal?" Luffy asked not really getting it.

"What kind of a deal?" Nami raised her eyebrow at him, in terms of making deals she was the best.

"If any of you won't give up, then you will have to share them. In other words, you kids will have to stay one month on each other's house with their pets. And after the month is over, the other party will take the two pets to their house and the others will stay with them in their house and so on…" Shanks explained and acted serious although by the expression on his face he seemed to be laughing at all of this.

"You mean that I get to keep Sanji here with me for a month with the idiots kids here, and then they take Sanji and Zoro to their house. And I'll have to come with them to their house?!" Nami said a little mad, and glared at Shanks.

"That's pretty much what I said, yes." Shanks kept smiling at the angry kid who pouted at him.

"Yeeees! That's an awesome idea! Let's do it, I can't wait!" Luffy screamed full of energy with a big smile that showed his teeth, jumping in the air. He always liked to stay with his friends.

"Wait a sec Luffy, it's not so simple you idiot! You know how hard it would be to change houses every month!?... And I want to stay with my sister and Bellemere. You won't see Shanks for a month, that's a long time!" Nami argued with reason, not that it helped with Luffy. Luffy just shrugged it off and smiled at her, playing with his straw hat.

"It's fine if I won't see Shanks, I know he'll come to see me again. So I'm fine with it, don't worry Nami. If you miss Bellemere or your sister, you can always call them, right?" Luffy said and smiled at her with his warm smile, Nami could not argue with him after seeing his big smile, so she shrugged and sighed.

"Fine… I'll try it, but only for Sanji's sake!" She said to hide her feelings of relief that she won't need to say goodbye anymore.

"Then it's settled." Shanks declared, and Bellemere nodded and smiled at him a little sneakily.

"This will be interesting to see." She whispered so only he could hear, and Shanks answered her, also with a whisper.

"I can't wait."

They ended their conversation and called the kids to the table. Bellemere served them food that smell delicious to Luffy, who ran to the table and started to shove it to his moth like an animal, Nami and Ace had to protect their food from the gobbler kid and latter Usopp came and join them.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait, and thanks to everyone for their support in this story.


	8. Chapter 8

The two animals stopped when they reached the middle of the forest, resting to sort their breathing. Sanji especially was out of breath and tense, wondering around the cat with worry.

"Will you sit your big tail down already?! You're annoying!" The cat growled.

"Shut it grass cat! I'm thinking, what if they won't come back for us… what if they forget about us, you idiot cat! I don't know about you, but I'm not fond of starving like we did before!" Sanji snarled.

Zoro laid on the ground lazily, resting on his side and closing his eyes like it's not a big deal at all. "So what if they don't come?! We won't starve we just let luck guide us and we'll be just fine, chill out! And even if it won't work, we can always come back to the city again." The cat said with confidence, with Sanji rising his eyebrows at him, not liking his attitude at all.

"We can't just count on luck Zoro! Stop being an idiot! Do you really want to die?! We can't come back to the city, don't talk bullshit; we'll die on the way there! So stop acting like the dumbass and lazy grass cat that you are, and start taking it seriously! If they won't come for us then… we have to go back to them."

That took Zoro's attention and he got up on his paws and glared at Sanji, making sure he knows how angry he is and what he'll do if he dares to try.

"Don't even think about it or I'll cut your ears off!" Zoro growled but Sanji didn't back away from him, he was stubborn too.

"I can cut your grassy ass if I want to, stupid cat! I don't want to be abandoned! I like Nami and her family… I don't want to leave them." He whispered sadly the last sentence, his ears falling down just like his face.

He got really attached to them, even if it was for a short time. Zoro stared at him with silence and sighed; why was he being so harsh on the fox he didn't know. He just wanted to stay with him and not be separated. It felt like the fox didn't mind to be separate only to come back to these humans, but he realized it was a little more complicated than that. Zoro too didn't wish to be abandon by Luffy and Ace, but he was willing to take it if it meant to stay by the fox's side. He came closer to him, biting his ears gently.

"Hey, stop that! Those stupid humans would not abandon us! They can't do that! And even if they will, they don't deserve to have you or me since they don't care enough. We'll find others."

"Still… didn't you say you like Luffy? Didn't he help you?! How can you say that?!" He barked again, and Zoro bit his ear even harder. "Ouch! You asshole grass cat!" Sanji bit his neck back, what made the cat hiss in pain.

"I do like him! But… but if he decides to ditch me it's his fault, not mine!"

"He won't do that to you!" Sanji said stubbornly, he could not bear it if Zoro's masters decided to abandon him here, he just couldn't.

"The same goes to you! They won't leave you here, so shut your big mouth and stay!" With that Zoro bit his neck and dragged him to fall to the ground, wrestling with Sanji's paws playfully. Sanji calmed down a bit and play with him for some time.

After a while, they calmed down until they heard a noise from the bushes of something moving. Zoro rose up, slowly and carefully. Going ahead of him to protected Sanji from anything that may come at them, Sanji rose his head and ears up, listing to the movements.

"I smell something in there… it's odd."

"Wait a sec… Zoro it's…"

"Shut it! I'm going to defeat it before he attacks." Zoro growled and started to run at the bush, jumping at his prey and catching it with his nails. To his surprise he only heard a cry and the creature ran away to hide behind a thin tree that didn't hide his body at all. Who the hell was this thing?

Sanji came right back after him, sighing deeply. "I told you to wait didn't I, asshole cat?! Now look what you've done, you scared him." He said and came closer to him with no worry in the world, Zoro just stayed there and stared confused at what was going on.

"You… know that… creature?"

"Yes, I know him and he's not a creature, you idiot grass! He is a reindeer, and his name is Chopper. Now stop being an ass and introduce yourself. Hi Chopper, get out from there, we can see you anyway."

The so called Chopper came out from behind the tree, shaking from Zoro and looking at Sanji imploringly asking for help. "Ahh please don't kill me."

Zoro rolled his eyes and came closer to him, slowly, trying not scare him and sniffed him. The reindeer was shaking and seemed to want to run away, but Sanji pet his legs with his fluffy tail, that seemed to calm him down.

"It's fine Chopper, he is my friend, he won't hurt you."

"Is this the cat you said you lost?" Chopper asked when Zoro kept sniffing him only for Chopper to sniff him back.

"Yep, this is him. The idiot grass cat… Zoro."

"Oi, spiral ass fox shut it!" Zoro growled and showed his teeth, only to make Chopper laugh.

"Then he's my friend too, I'm Chopper." He said and came closer to Zoro, who sent him a warm look.

"Sorry if I scared you earlier, I thought you came to eat us."

"No worries, I'm just glad to finally meet you. Sanji told me so much about you." Sanji sent him a warning looks to shut up, but the reindeer didn't seem to get it! Damn him. Zoro smiled his cocky ass smile and came closer to Chopper. After Chopper laid down on the ground Zoro jumped on his back and found a good spot to sit.

"Oh really? And what the spiral fox been telling about me?"

"Well he said you are very important to him and…" Chopper started innocently only to make Sanji to go red and jump at the reindeer's face, no way he's going to let him spoil out all he said about the cat only because he thought he lost him forever.

"That's enough, you don't need to tell him shit like that!"

Zoro sat there amused enjoying Sanji's embarrassed act and face, wiggling his tail. "Is that so? I'm important to you." He repeated with satisfaction only to see Sanji even more embarrassed.

"Keep dreaming asshole cat! Keep dreaming!" Sanji snarled and hit him with his tail, only to make him laugh.

They stayed there with the reindeer for some time, sharing their stories and letting Chopper get used to Zoro. He actually was very good with the young reindeer, enough to make him look at him with adoring eyes and call him "Cool!" to Sanji who only rolled eyes. At least he seemed to like the idiot cat, and Zoro seem to like him back.

They slept together that night curled up with each other, but Zoro tried to stay close to Sanji's body. It was comfortable and warm for all of them that night, even if it was deep in the woods.

….

The day after, all the kids came to search them together. Calling them and bringing food to attract them. That worked because they were getting hungry, Luffy laughed and took Zoro and Sanji together in his hands. Kissing both of them with affection.

"Don't worry Zoro and Sanji, we'll all stay together, shishi." He laughed and the two animals wiggled their tails in happy manner, they would stay together now and won't need to miss each other again.

"Hey Luffy, give me Sanji! I want to hold him too!" Nami insisted and Luffy let her take him slowly. Then Nami hugged him and kissed his head.

"I'll be with you too, so don't run away again, okay?" She said and walked back to home together. After they reach the house, Luffy and Nami put them down onto the ground and ran to the set table in the backyard, running around shouting and playing like the kids they were. Sanji and Zoro ran around next to them, playing who could catch the other's tail first, Zoro ran after Sanji first and then Sanji ran after him.

In the afternoon, Bellemere called everyone to the meal and Luffy screamed "Food!" and ran ahead of them. Zoro and Sanji came to the table too, curious of what they were doing and sniffed around. Zoro jumped on the table and signed for Sanji to come too. Sanji did and looked around the meals. "Wow, that smells good."

"Yes, it does." He came to take a bit but was raised up by Bellemere that shooed them away from the table, threw them as far away from the food and warned them to stay away. She gave them their food, but they were more into the food on the table.

"I can steal some if I want." Sanji bragged to who Zoro snorted at him.

"Yes right you moron, let's go from here."

"I really can!" Sanji raised his ears just to be dragged away by his neck by Zoro gentle biting.

They started to run around after each other's tails again, while the kids and grownups ate and laughed together.

At some point, Sanji ran into Usopp that was messing around with a weird bottles and chemicals. Sanji came closer to him and jumpped on his head, staring at his hands with curios eyes. "Hi look Zoro, it's that weird long nose doing weird things again."

Zoro yawned and scratched his neck. "Leave him alone stupid fox! It smells disgusting."

"But what do you think he's doing?" He asked and kept looking at his hands moving around the little chemicals jars.

"Who cares, let's go!" Zoro nuzzled his tail, trying to play with it.

Then Usopp rose his head and noticed the two animals around him, he smiled and showed them the jar. "Oh, hello there Sanji, Zoro. Look at this! I'm going to create the most amazing potion in the world! You two are going to be the witness of this amazing discovery! You're lucky ones, with this I'm going to save all the sick people in the whole world!"

Sanji laughed at his head and looked at Zoro. "What do you think he's saying?"

"Must be some bullshit, come on!" Zoro said bored and Sanji laughed.

"Yes you're right." Sanji agreed and jumped from Usopp's head, pursuing after Zoro's tail now. Usopp screamed at them with despair.

"Oii you guys, don't you want to be the witness of amazing discovery? Hey!" But the two animals were already busy with their own games of chasing to pay attention to him.

After the month was over, Luffy come back home with Ace, Shanks, Nami and the two animals that didn't stop to fighting even in the car. To Luffy's amusement Nami shouted them to stop. At first Nami called home a lot, but got used to Luffy's home pretty quickly and enjoyed her new home with Luffy and Ace.

The same went to Sanji, at first he was a little uncomfortable with the new environment, but Zoro was with him and showed him around the place in the outside so he got used to it. They slept under each other on Zoro's big cushion, with Zoro nuzzling Sanji's body and walking around the area, sniffing around after intruding smells.

After a while, they became inseparable, to where Zoro went Sanji went and to where Sanji went Zoro followed. Just like the kids, with Usopp that came to visit them and play.

All went well until one incident before the end of the month, Zoro just came back with Sanji after their walk in the street. They saw some weird thing on the floor and Zoro just came and ate it. Sanji figured it's not that big of a deal, they eat junk all the time, but it seems it was. Because after they came back Zoro fell down on the floor and starts to growl in pain. Sanji didn't know what to do, but tried to come next to him. "You're okay? What's wrong Zoro?"

"I... don't feel so good." He whined and Sanji licked his ear.

"I can go and call your master, just wait." The fox tried to go but Zoro stopped him.

"Noooo... Sanji, stay!" He whines, and laid on the floor barely moving. Sanji whined a little and laid down next to him, licking him and trying to comfort the poor suffering cat, but it didn't seem to work. Sanji felt his heart come out for him, and whined pitifully at the silent Zoro.

"Zoro... don't die! Don't you dare to die on me!" Sanji wailed and nuzzled Zoro's neck hugging him gently. The fox didn't know what to do, should he stay with the cat or call for the others, he really didn't know. He wanted to help Zoro feel better, but he didn't know how.

The first one that noticed was Nami, who ran for them with worried look. "What is it Sanji? Is something wrong with Zoro?"

Sanji wailed even more loudly and started to walk around in circle for her, showing her how scared he was and that he wanted her to help Zoro. Nami got the message 'cause the next thing she did was call Shanks and rush him and to take Zoro to the doctor. Shanks smiled at her and pet her head, reassuring her not to worry. She started to cry and with her Luffy started to cry with fear of Zoro's life. Ace was the only one that stayed there with serious face and looked down on his legs.

An hour later, they hurried to the vet, holding Zoro carefully not to make him suffer even more. They waited in line, Sanji was tense and nervous at the other animals around and tried to walk around but Nami held him in her arms, not letting him move. He wanted to go to Zoro's side, to lick his face, to comfort him, but she didn't let him so he just whined and tried to free himself from her hold.

Nami kept crying to herself and pet Sanji fur gently; Luffy was just silent and looked at Zoro with tears in his eyes, stroking him slowly with his hand full of love. Shanks was the one to hold Zoro, and tried to calm down the three kids but with no luck.

When their turn finally come, Luffy jumped and ran to the vet biting his lip, his face full of tears and screamed. "Please save Zoro! I'll do anything, just please save him! He's my best friend!" The vet looked oddly at the kid and then at Shanks that come to him with Zoro.

"Please take a look at him for us." Shanks asked quietly, and came to the table in his room.

"Come after me, kids don't worry and wait outside."

"I want to come too!" Luffy said and after him Nami.

"Stay here okay? I'll be right back." Shanks said and the door closed.

The kids sat in the waiting room chairs and pouted with anger at the stupid adults with Sanji whining and raving in Nami's hands. He was so scared and confused, were were they taking Zoro?! What they were going to do to him!? Sanji started to make load noises of distress to call Zoro, he just wanted to hear Zoro answer him from that room so he knew he was still alive but he didn't hear anything and it's made him panic. No way he going to let them kill Zoro, no way in hell!

But Nami hugged the distressed fox and stroked him gently, calming him down a little. "Don't worry Sanji, the doctor will save Zoro just wait a little longer." She tried to say, Sanji understood that she was trying to calm him down even without knowing what she was saying, and so he wanted to believe her. But it was so hard for him, he wanted to go where Zoro was, but he couldn't so he just let Nami stroke his fur, his ears down he made little, sad noises.

Sanks came out after an hour and said Zoro's going to be okay after a little surgery, the kids got scared but the vet promised that he will be okay and that it's not a big surgery.

They let Zoro stay in the clinic for a day, with the three kids looked at their feet with sadness, each his own. Shanks sighed at their sad faces and was glad it wasn't something serious or they would really drive him nuts with their sadness.

Sanji didn't know how to take it that they left the place without Zoro, what did that mean?! Did Zoro really died? If so what is he going to do now?! He felt like he didn't want anything anymore, only to see Zoro and his body shook in Nami arms.

That night Sanji whined and howled all night, Nami took him to her bed with them but it didn't help. Sanji kept howling and Shanks had no choice but to bind Sanji collar's to sleep outside with closed windows. Since he really needed his sleep that night to work in the morning, not that really help Sanji cries and neighbors' complaints, but he didn't care much.

The next morning, they all came to take Zoro home. Carfully and slowly after his surgery, they tried to take him in his box. Sanji was so excited and surprised that he didn't stop wondering around the sleeping Zoro with his tail wiggling like crazy, whining to him a little and trying to make him notice him.

After Zoro was done his beauty sleep, he purred at Sanji worrying over him and wiggled his tail. "Hi spiral fox." He said with his deep voice.

"Hi stupid idiot grass cat." Sanji answered and sat close to him, touching his nose with Zoro's and licking his neck. "How do you feel? Does it still hurt?"

"No, I'm fine now." Zoro purred, enjoying Sanji treatment.

"That's good! Don't scare me like that you asshole cat! You know how freaked out I was because of you!?" Sanji scolded him and Zoro giggled.

"Well, now we're even, ass fox!"

"Jerk grass cat!"

"Stupid spiral brow." Zoro purred with calmness that made Sanji blush.

"I hate you! But I don't want to be without you, so from now on no more eating from the street, ever! You hear me asshole?! No more!"

Zoro raised his head and looked at him for a while. "Then you too, not allowed eating from it."

Sanji only growled at him and put his head on Zoro's back, closing his eyes. "Fine asshole, I won't!"

They slept calmly and Luffy, Nami and Ace were happy to have Zoro back. Maybe not fully active, but alive and well. And the vet gave them medicine to give Zoro after his surgery to help his stomach and forbid the kids to let them wonder around and let them eat things outside.

And that's how they kept living, Nami sometimes took them to her house and they visited Chopper and Luffy took them to his house, there they wrestled and played together. Happy and strong they kept support each other through all of their days.

The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally here is the end, sorry for the delay. I hope you like how it's end, please say what you think about it. I wasn't sure how to end it. I was so happy to see people liked it. thank you so very much for all the Kudos and love you give me for this story ^_^


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